Genin
by Flashfyre5
Summary: Reposted, AU, Complete. Naruto's grown up, but he's still stuck at the most basic levels of the Konoha hierarchy. Now Sakura's come to ask him a favor-a favor that will change both his life and the lives of everyone he knows forever.
1. Chapter 1

Genin: Author's notes on a repost.

It's been quite some time since this fic was originally removed from for my end rant, and I have to honestly say that the admins that removed it were right for doing so. My old 'manifesto' will not be reposted at the end of this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I don't buy into it anymore; it was a frustrated rant that blew the issues of the 'ficcing community well out of proportion. Fandoms don't die because of any one group of fans—they die because the next great thing has come along, and it was stupid and selfish of me to arbitrarily decide that one group of fans were better than another. Thus, to those I might have pissed off (and those that I didn't, I should have): I'm sorry. Everyone has a right to write. That's the whole point of this forum.

I didn't re-up Genin for a long time after it was taken down because it was archived elsewhere, because I was (frankly) very busy, and because I've largely moved on to writing in other forms. I hope, someday, to be published for real, but if that's going to be the case, it means that I've really got to focus on my serious work; while I took my ficcing seriously, it was always a diversion, a comfortable way to freewrite my way out of awful writer's block eslewhere.

This fic has not been revised at all. I'm not messing around with the formatting as I post it. In short, it is exactly what I wrote some 6-7 (insert horrified face here) years ago, and it reflects my capabilities and mindset at the time. If you enjoy it, great. If you think I've got further to go, I agree with you.

Finally, I do have to admit that it's almost certain that this will be my final posting in any fanfiction forum. I still enjoy fanfiction, and I still write, but I'm moving into a professional sphere that allows me neither the time nor the discretion to spend hours on end writing for the sheer joy of writing. If I do, anything I'll write will probably be Ranma fiction, simply because I've always loved that series' mix of seriousness, comedy, and humor more than any other series.

Thanks, everyone. It's been a ride.

~Flash

Music: Check out Zoe Keating. She's amazing.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

" " = Talking

/ / = Thinking

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter One: Dobe-kun

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, finally succumbing to the morning light that had now been shining on his eyelids for a full half hour. He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes with his right hand as he glanced over at the calendar that hung on the wall to his left. Even as he did, he knew the date- it had simply become somewhat of a ritual for him, albeit an impromptu one.

"Fuck" he cursed, flopping back onto the bed. Today's date, the fifteenth of August, was circled in a little red swirl. "The chuunin finals are today. Oh, well. Might as well get up." Naruto rolled out of bed, standing up after sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment. Clad only in a pair of boxers half a size too large for him, he made his way to his bathroom.

/It's been four years now,/ he thought to himself as he went about his morning routine. /I've been a genin for four whole years./ Time had done Naruto well; over the last four years, he had gained quite a bit of height. He was still significantly shorter than Sasuke or even Sakura, but that had never really bothered him in the first place. Naruto slid open the shower curtain and stepped into his tiny shower stall. On a genin's wage, he couldn't even afford a proper Plexiglas door for the shower. Hell, he couldn't even afford what most people would consider decent food. Of course, cup ramen was, and always had been, somewhat of a delicacy to the young man, so he never really could bring himself to care. He turned the hot and cold water knobs inside the shower on, and turned his face up to face the falling water. As the steaming liquid rushed over his body, he found himself reminiscing…

*** 3 Years, 6 Months Ago ***

"Well, things have been pretty crazy here for the past six months," Tsunade said to the eight young shinobi arrayed in front of her. "But here we are, the chuunin exam completed, and on time."

Arrayed in front of her were basically the same people as had been there six months prior; only Garaa and his team had not returned. In their places stood a pair of mist ninja, looking dark, mysterious, and badly bruised in their neoprene suits. Also, a lone representative from the Wind country had come and survived to the finals. He had, however, drawn a rather short straw, and had fallen to Sasuke in the first round after only a few short minutes of rather brutal punishment. Finally, a single Thunder ninja sat in a wheelchair at the far end of the room. Naruto had gotten a little carried away in the first round…

In the end, the tournament had come down to Naruto and Sasuke in the finals. The fight had been grueling, and long. Sasuke had eventually triumphed, but it had been a close thing. Naruto had had to be taken away on a stretcher, unconscious, but Sasuke hadn't been able to walk away from the fight unaided either. Naruto was still upset over how Sasuke had fought. It had been two days since the fight, and everybody was in, more or less, condition to walk and stand before the Hokage and the Raikage, whose country was hosting the tournament this time.

"You have all fought well, and are to be commended. Even those," the Raikage said, looking notably at the dejected wind ninja, "who feel they did poorly are to be congratulated for making it this far. However, as you know, this is a test, and only one of you has passed this time."

"The graduate, as most of you have probably guessed, is Uchiha Sasuke," Tsunade continued, smiling faintly. "Sasuke, you displayed excellent tactical knowledge and a truly remarkable level of skill. Would you accept the honor of a promotion?" she asked, bowing slightly to the raven-haired youth. The Raikage bowed along with her, remaining silent for now.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Sasuke replied, bowing more deeply than either the Ho- or Raikage had. Tsunade and the Raikage filed out of the room, and the remaining genin gathered around to congratulate Sasuke. A few began to talk to each other about how they were going to go all the way next year.

"But…" Naruto said in a defeated, surprised voice.

"Hey," Sasuke called in his direction. Naruto looked up and met the new chuunin's gaze. "There's always next year," Sasuke taunted, smiling insultingly. The dark-clad boy moved to leave the room ahead of everyone else, but turned back at the door. "Dobe-kun," he added, then stepped out the door.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, his knee-jerk response to the familiar taunt coming automatically. "I'm not…" he trailed off, as he realized that nobody was paying him the slightest bit of attention.

*** 2 Years Ago ***

"…three shinobi have proven themselves worthy of the chuunin rank today," said the Mizukage, whose country was hosing the festivities for this particular event. The Tsuchikage, who had not said a single thing throughout the entire ten-minute speech that the Mizukage was wrapping up, flanked him. The Mizukage had extolled those virtues that the graduates possessed over and over.

Naruto, though he was still nervous as hell, was even getting bored. He had won the tournament handily this time, unlike the one that had been held six months ago. He glanced to his right, for among the lined-up shinobi, he was the one set furthest to the left. Sakura fidgeted two people over from him, and that wind ninja from his second chuunin tournament had found his way into the finals this time, after defeating Sakura. Naruto tried to remember what his name was. Jun-something. Ahh, it didn't matter, he decided. He'd beaten the blisteringly fast ninja in record time in the finals; though the kid was fast, one well-placed punch to the face had ended the tournament for him.

Leaning against the wall was Rock Lee, who had been promoted six months ago, and had fought against Naruto in the finals. Naruto grinned, remembering that fight. It had been intense. Both he and Lee had enjoyed it thoroughly.

"Our three choices are Haruno Sakura, Yamashita Junpei, and Kunou Akiko. Congratulations," the Tsuchikage announced, nodding to the three. Sakura looked like she'd been struck by lightning, her shock was so great, and another girl, who was furthest away in the line from Naruto, seemed to share her surprise. The guy Naruto had faced in the finals leapt up with and excited cry and dashed from the room, calling for either his parents or his teammates. Lee ran to Sakura in excitement and embraced her. This seemed to shake the girl out of her shock. Suddenly, excited words about her plans and hopes came spilling out of the girl as she talked quickly and excitedly to Lee. She didn't even seem to notice that he had embraced her. Eventually, Lee seemed to realize that Naruto was still in the room, and stopped, staring at him. Sakura turned to follow his gaze, and realized that Naruto, indeed, was standing there.

"Uhh… Naruto… I don't know what to say," Sakura eventually managed, real concern in her voice. Naruto immediately covered his true emotions with a cocky grin and scratched the back of his head.

"Ha, there's always next year," he returned, then looked away. He didn't finish the statement, but he didn't have to. Sasuke had said it to him after each and every failed attempt at the chuunin exam, almost verbatim. Always at the end, however, was the insulting, sniping 'Dobe-kun.'

*** Six Months Ago ***

"Hey," Tsunade said as she walked up on him from behind. Naruto turned to look at her, then turned back to face the way he had. He was sitting on top of one of the buildings of the Hokage monument, his legs dangling over the edge of the building.

"Hey," he replied, not bothering to cover the dejected tone in his voice. He had just failed the chuunin test for the seventh time. Tsunade was perceptive; even if he had tried to hide his emotions, she would have known. "So much for the seventh time being the charm, huh?" he asked wryly, chuckling a bit at his own humor.

"I guess," the Hokage replied, joining him at the edge. "You fought well yesterday," she tried to cheer him up.

"I know, ya old hag. You didn't need to tell me that," he shot back, rolling his eyes. He'd barely had to fight at all; all his opponents had forfeited rather than face him. /Well,/ he thought, /I did have to fight in the finals, but that was a joke. The poor guy didn't even have time to perform a single jutsu before I downed him./ Even as he thought this, Tsunade sighed in exasperation.

"Do you know why you haven't been passed, Naruto?" she asked after a short pause.

"I know what you guys always tell me," Naruto sneered at her. "You say that I'm 'uncontrollable,' that I lose my head whenever I get into a fight." Naruto turned to look at her, his eyes cold. "I also know that that's a crock of shit."

"Well, not entirely," Tsunade hedged, trying to comfort the boy. "You are a little too… enthusiastic, shall we say?" Naruto just continued to stare at her with his cold, hurt eyes. Tsunade sighed and sat down next to him. "But you're right too," she admitted, sadness in her voice. "You've been held back because the other Kages see you as a threat. I can't promote you without approval from another of the Kages, and they're too scared of you to see straight. So I do what I can, giving you missions that will challenge you, trying to make sure that you don't hate us all for a few stupid people. I just wish there was more that I could do."

"That's why I've been doing nothing B rank missions for the last year or so, huh?" Naruto asked. Tsunade nodded in reply. Naruto leaned back, letting his arms catch him against the cool cement of the building's rooftop. "I know that I'm no leader. It's okay. I just wish that Sasuke wasn't so damned right."

"Huh?" Tsunade said, confused.

"Sasuke always called me 'Dobe-kun.' I hated it coming from him, and I hated it even more because I was scared that he was right," Naruto explained, tilting his head to meet Tsunade's gaze again. "And Chouji just made chuunin today. That's the last of the 'rookie nine.' Everybody except me," he continued dejectedly.

"Naruto…" Tsunade started, trying to find some way to comfort the youth. "There are other ways to make your dreams come true." Naruto shook his head and pulled his legs underneath him. He squatted there for a moment, then stood up.

"Don't try to make me feel better," he said, his voice carrying his pain. "You really suck at it," he sneered, then ran off, hopping down the side of the low building and off into the afternoon distance.

*** Present ***

Naruto sighed as he turned off the hot water knob, then the cold. He stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off, then tied the old, almost tattered towel around his waist. In the cramped bathroom, he brushed his teeth quickly, then ran a comb through his hair, giving himself a ragged part over his left eye. He no longer wore his hair in the wild, unkempt style that had been his trademark for so long. Now the strands of blond hair were forced down, and to the sides of his head, where they inevitably sprung back up, somewhat. He put a few silver ornaments in his hair, each etched with the name of some barely-readable entity. They represented the summoning contracts that he'd acquired. He had three total, one for the Toad clan, one for the Fox clan, and one for the Wolf clan. Naruto hadn't had to call on any them for help in months. A nice side effect of his new hairstyle and ornamentation was that he could now look rather intimidating when he wanted to.

He walked out of the bathroom and into the main room of his apartment, and pulled open one of the wall panels. Inside, hung or folded depending on what they were, were his clothing. He put a fresh pair of underwear on, then pulled on a pair of orange pants. They were similar to the ones he had worn years ago, but much more practical. Far less baggy, they were just roomy enough so that he could move in any way he needed to. The pants had black piping along the major seams, and some black cording along the right side. A wide area along the outside of each leg was black cloth.

Now somewhat decent, Naruto pulled a white undershirt on, and followed it with an orange zip-up jacket. This too was similar to the style he had used to wear, but it wasn't nearly as heavily padded. He liked the extra lightness that this jacket had in particular. It had a pair of pockets in the front, colored a little darker orange than the rest of the jacket. It had somewhat of a neck on it, but it was loose and thin. The shoulders and the neck were the same darker orange color as the front pockets were. The inside lining, visible only once in a while, was a dark royal blue.

Dressed, Naruto made his way to the 'kitchen' area of his apartment. In reality, he had simply removed the sliding screen from this section of wall, and had put in a microwave and a minifridge. While he nuked some cup ramen, he grabbed a compact digital music player from the table. He hit play and tucked the ear buds in each of his ears.

/Music,/ he thought as the ramen finished cooking. He ate it, moving around the room, collecting kunai, shuriken, and other things that he knew he'd need for the tournament today. /Damn, it seems like music is the only thing that I've always had,/ he continued. Naruto had had little human contact as a child, and he'd latched onto music as a source of comfort. Then, for two magical years, he'd had Sakura and Sasuke. Team Seven had given him companionship where before he'd had none. Even if he fought with Sasuke every day, and even though Sakura wouldn't give him the time of day, he'd had people to be with. Then Sakura had been promoted, and he'd been out of teammates.

Sure, every now and again he'd see her or Sasuke, but A and B rank missions were handled differently than the genin level missions. They were assigned to individuals based on their skills, or teams selected for their combinations of skills. Of course, as a genin taking B rank missions, few chuunin would work with him. Even those that knew him and would work with him were rarely assigned to. As such, Naruto did most of his missions alone… except for his music. He and Sakura had remained close. They trained together when they could, and hung out any other time they could. Sakura felt bad for him, for his loneliness, and out of her compassion had come a real friendship.

Into a small trash bin went the empty ramen cup. Naruto grabbed his keys and his forehead protector. He tied the forehead protector around his neck, like Hinata did, except that his rested outside of the neck of his jumpsuit. He stepped outside and locked the door.

"Here we go again," he said to himself, then grinned. Konohamaru had graduated from the Academy five months ago, and had completed enough missions, along with his team, to become eligible for the chuunin exam. He had cruised through to the finals- the fights. Naruto grinned as he walked towards the arena. He and Konohamaru were to be the first match of the tournament. Naruto knew that he was better than Konohamaru in a straight fight, but the kid had grown up well. He was smart, and had lost much of the reckless abandon that had characterized him since Naruto met him at age 8. His stealth skills were still more than a bit lacking, but Naruto had heard that he was good in a fight, and had quite a few tricks up his sleeve.

"Hey! Naruto-sempai!" Konohamaru's eager voice called. Naruto turned and waited for the young ninja to catch up to him. The youth wore his hair short now, and his still-new forehead protector on his forehead. He was dressed in baggy black shorts, covered with pockets. He didn't wear the usual Kunai or Shuriken holsters; instead, he kept all of his weapons inside the ubiquitous pockets of his shorts. He also wore a gray sleeveless t-shirt, and over that a black fishnet t-shirt. Naruto was reminded of Shikamaru for a moment before blinking the memory away.

"What's up, kid?" Naruto asked as they walked together toward the arena.

"I'm looking forward to our fight," Konohamaru replied with a wide grin on his face. "I know I won't beat you, but I'm gonna try and give you a run for your money!" he declared.

"That a fact?" Naruto asked, meeting Konohamaru's gaze. /What that kid doesn't know,/ he thought, grinning wryly, /is that he's the only reason I'm even in the fights this time. I owe him one for sticking with me all this time./

"Well, then, don't hold anything back," Naruto goaded, thinking ahead to the tournament. "You're gonna need everything you've got to beat me."

* * * * * *

Naruto stood across the arena ring from Konohamaru. The crowd, seated fifty feet up, was buzzing with excitement. Quite a few cheers wafted down from the stands. All of them, it seemed, were for Naruto, who had become somewhat of a staple at the semi-annual genin tournament. He had won the last six running; nobody was foolish enough, it seemed, to cheer for anybody that happened to be his opponent. Konohamaru, a few feet away, cast about nervously. He had obviously not been ready for such a crowd presence against him.

"Scary, isn't it?" Naruto called above the crowd. He still wore his music player, but he'd turned it down enough that he could hear both the crowd and Konohamaru.

"N-no way!" the youth denied, shaking his head. The nervous sweat and stammer gave away the feeble lie for what it was. "Well, maybe just a little…," he admitted.

"Hey, now. Focus on me, Konohamaru. A ninja never lets his guard down, right?" Naruto encouraged the younger shinobi. /Buck up, kid, or this'll all be for nothing,/ he thought nervously. Konohamaru didn't know about his plan, which was exactly how Naruto wanted it.

"Right!" the young ninja shouted back, focusing his gaze on Naruto. His right hand drifted to one of the side pockets on his shorts, while his left stayed close to his waist. His nervousness seemed to evaporate as the youth focused, and a grin began to spread across his face.

"That's what I like to see," Naruto said eagerly, sliding into a ready stance. A broad smile crossed his face.

"Ready?" the exam proctor asked, raising his right hand. Neither ninja replied, but neither backed down either. "Begin!" he shouted, dropping it and jumping backwards. Konohamaru whipped his right hand forward, slinging as kunai towards his opponent. Naruto faded to the left, then heard the sound of a muffled explosion. He glanced back towards where Konohamaru had been, and there was only a cloud of thick, purple smoke. /Smoke bomb,/ he thought. /Nice./

Instinctively, Naruto pulled out a kunai with his right hand, and deflected three other kunai. Konohamaru, who had thrown them from a great jump he had taken out of the smoke bomb, landed lightly and charged toward Naruto, throwing a full complement of six shuriken. Naruto, to even his own surprise, was forced to dodge the three on the left even as he deflected the other three with his kunai. /Nice!/ he thought excitedly, his already broad grin widening. /This ought to be fun!/ Then there was no time to think, as Konohamaru had closed to melee range.

The younger ninja, blessed with ambidexterity, had his last two kunai out and was attacking Naruto with them viciously. The older ninja gave ground, deflecting and dodging the furious assault, but making no move to strike back.

"Fight me, Sempai!" Konohamaru grunted between swings with his kunai, then jumped, flipping over Naruto to land behind the older ninja.

"I am," Naruto replied, spinning on his heel so that, when Konohamaru landed, he was facing the younger shinobi. "But I'm also doing my best to make you look good," he continued, deflecting kunai slashes with the ease of a veteran.

"I don't look good if you're not taking me seriously," Konohamaru shouted, sweating from exertion now, instead of nervousness. He spun a furious corkscrew, piling slash after slash on Naruto's left side. The older ninja was forced to turn sideways so that his right hand, his dominant one and the one holding his kunai, could meet the blows and deflect them away from his body. After a few rotations, Konohamaru was forced to stop, or risk dizziness. Naruto met the slight pause in attacks with a brutal side kick to Konohamaru's forehead, which sent the youth tumbling back away. The youth had the sense to roll with the blow, but he'd dropped his kunai in the first landing.

"Fine," Naruto replied cockily as Konohamaru used the last of the momentum from his roll to find his feet again. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Konohamaru performing a pair of hand seals. /He dropped them on purpose!/ Naruto thought, surprised, /so that he'd have time to do the seals!/ Naruto's own hands came up to form his own seals, but Konohamaru had already finished.

"Kono Ha Maru Ha no Jutsu!" Konohamaru shouted with a smirk, as a disc of crackling fire roughly the size of a dinner plate sprung up vertically in front of his hands. For a moment, it seemed to grow, then it contracted violently, expelling a thin beam of pure heat straight forward… and directly at Naruto.

Naruto's hands blurred violently as the disc expanded, and as the heat beam struck him, he exploded in a burst of smoke. The beam lanced straight through, striking the arena wall, and heating it enough to redden the stone before the beam collapsed, a few moments later. The billowing smoke blew away a few seconds later as a panting Konohamaru watched revealing… a smoldering log, with a charred and blackened hole burned through the middle. Konohamaru then felt the cool blade of a kunai placed against his throat from behind.

"Nice move," Naruto said from his position behind the younger ninja. "I like the name in particular. But next time," he continued, leaning forward, his head next to Konohamaru's, "pick a move that doesn't leave you rooted to the spot if your enemy manages to get away."

"Y-yeah," Konohamaru nodded, shaking with tiredness, the just dispelled fear that Naruto had actually been hit, and relief that he hadn't. Whatever else the jutsu he had just used was, it was definitely lethal if it hit.

"Hey, Examiner," Naruto called, standing up straight again. He pulled his kunai away from Konohamaru's throat and stepped back. "I quit."

"Huh?" Konohamaru exclaimed, turning to look at his mentor. The examiner looked just as surprised.

"Are you sure?" the chuunin asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Yep," Naruto declared, spinning his kunai on his index finger, then holstering it. "I'm not cut out to be a chuunin. I just decided to come and try to give everybody here a good look at what the Third's grandson could do. Besides, he's an old friend. I wouldn't feel right taking away his next round, especially after he fought so hard."

"All right," the examiner replied, then turned to face the crowd, which was rustling about at the sudden cessation of hostilities. In a much louder voice, the examiner shouted, "Naruto withdraws. Konohamaru wins by forfeit!" The crowd exploded in noise, shouting their surprise and disappointment. Many had bet on Naruto's victory, and many had just lost. Smiling, Naruto just turned up the music on his player and walked out the gates of the stadium. As he pushed through the heavy wooden gates, he stopped in surprise. Sakura was standing there, waiting for him.

"Sakura-chan?" he asked, bit uncertain.

"No, just normal Sakura," the young girl replied. Naruto relaxed a bit, relieved that it was just Sakura. After Konohamaru, he wasn't sure if he was up to his and Sakura-chan's usual verbal sparring.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, smiling. He hadn't expected to see her today- she'd told him that she was getting ready for a big mission.

Sakura had grown up quite a bit in the last four years, and had become quite the beautiful young woman. Her hair had grown back somewhat, but she kept it trimmed well above her shoulders. Gone were the pretty, somewhat frivolous dresses of her youth. Today, she wore a white button-down vest, which showcased her burgeoning curviness quite nicely. There was a little beaded ornament hanging from the left side of the lower hem. After her bare midriff, she wore a pair of dark red stretch jeans, secured at the waist by a wide, white leather belt. They allowed her excellent mobility, and had, on several occasions, distracted a male opponent for long enough for her to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.

"I was watching you," she replied, a weak smile crossing her face. "You know, the last of the old team seven."

"Thanks," Naruto replied, returning the smile. "Sorry to disappoint," he said with a shrug, continuing his walk away from the arena. He could hear the examiner calling out the names for the next combatants, but he wasn't paying attention.

"Why'd you do it?" Sakura asked suddenly, and Naruto stopped. A short silence passed between the two of them. "Forfeit, I mean. You didn't need to," she said, trying to break the tension.

"Yeah, I really did," Naruto said, turning to look at her. "I wasn't going to get passed. The Mizukage has always been against my promotion, and I don't think that I could do anything to persuade him otherwise. It's kinda the same with most of the Kages. At least I could make Konohamaru look good." He looked at her for a while, and eventually Sakura's eyes rose to meet his gaze. After a few moments, Naruto turned away again. "I'll see you later, Sakura-chan. We could have lunch or something," he called back over his shoulder, waving his hand at her.

Sakura reached out towards him, paused for a minute, then called, "Wait, Naruto. I need to ask you a favor."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking back at her.

"Sasuke and I… Well, he'd never admit it, but he does," she rambled nervously. "Well, we need your help," she continued, shaking her head.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, turning around to meet her attention properly.

"The jounin exams are in two weeks. We're required to make our attempts in teams of three. We're allowed to make our own teams, and Sasuke asked for my help a few weeks ago, but we haven't found a third team member," she continued more confidently. As she spoke, she approached Naruto, until she was standing at a normal distance for conversation. "Sasuke's controlled power, and I've got precision covered, but we don't have the kind of power that you have. The kind of power that everybody knows that you have."

"Are you asking me to take the jounin exam with you guys?" Naruto asked, his eyebrows raised. "Is that even allowed?"

"I don't know, but without you we can't even try," Sakura replied with a shrug and a helpless look. "Registration forms are due tomorrow." Naruto looked down for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

"Knowing these sadists," he said with a nod towards the arena, "the test probably involves fighting real jounin. There's probably a damn good chance that one, if not all, of us would die, and even if we do make it, there's no way they'd let me be a jounin anyway."

"I guess so…," Sakura trailed off as Naruto paused to draw a breath.

"So, basically, you're asking me to risk my life for no damn reason at all, just because an old friend asks me to?" Naruto asked with just a hint of a growl in his voice.

"More or less," Sakura replied nervously. Naruto looked up, his eyes shining excitedly and a vicious-looking grin on his face.

"Lucky team seven rides again, huh?" he said, the growl of what had seemed to be anger turning to excitement. "Where do I sign up?

* * * Author's Notes * * *

Hello, everybody. After a two or three year (I can't remember how long it's been) hiatus from the world of fanfiction, I'm back! With a new e-mail address and a fresh enrollment in college, I decided to take a whack at this whole mess again. If anybody cares, I learned long ago to stick my AN's at the end of my fics, so that those who don't like them can skip em. This fic was brought on my seeing Naruto through Episode 68 or so. If I screw anything up, in regards to the timeline, please tell me so that I can go back and fix it. Yes, I did have to go digging to find out that Tsunade was the Hokage, and if I screw up her characterization, I apologize. I'll try to keep her to a minimum.

::Deep Breath:: Anyway, I write these things with the presumption that people not only read them, but like them. If this is the case, PLEASE let me know. Hell, if you didn't like it, let me know too. Preferably, do so with some advice. However, no matter what you write to me, I will take a reciprocal amount of time to reply to anybody that DOES write. If enough people like this, I'll write a second chapter, and so on. If not, oh, well. Thanks for your time, everybody.

P.S.: The outfits that everybody is/will be wearing in this fic were inspired by a piece of art that the original author came up with. It's posted at Toriyama's world (just google Naruto Toriyama's World), under the extras section. It's called Naruto Pinup or something.

* * * Revised Author's Notes * * *

Whee! I finally found a prereader, and I managed to figure out how this is gonna work, since I have no clue what happens after Tsunade comes to Konoha. I'll be running this as an alternate universe fic, with everything following Tsunade's return cut out of the story. I'd write it otherwise, but there's a lot of characterization that I apparently miss by not being further up on the story, so I think that it's best for me to write this sort of thing from a point that I know. Thanks for all the feedback, everyone!!

The #1 Song on Naruto's Playlist: (I'll use this section to tell you what song best fits the mood for the chapter. Since Naruto is, in this fic, so attached to music, and since I listen to a great deal of it while I write, I figured it'd be appropriate. I will also include a link to a location where the song is downloadable, when it is applicable.)

"Wind" by Akeboshi. I know it's already a Naruto song, but it's so appropriate for this chapter. Find it at , under the music section.

Translations: (I try to keep Japanese to a minimum in my fics, but some of it, like for the Justus and the honorifics with which these characters actually DO speak, is unavoidable. I will give the translations for such things here.)

Sempai: an honorific attached to the end of the name of an upperclassman or a mentor that is, relatively speaking, at the same level you are. Konohamaru uses it here after growing out of Oyabun, which is somewhat closer to Mafia Boss.

Shinobi: a synonym for ninja.

Ninja: Please don't tell me that you need this translated. If you do, you're reading the wrong fic.

Genin: Lower person, used to denote a lack of skill in Naruto's world.

Chuunin: Middle person, a term of relative respect, compared to genin.

Jounin: Skilled person. Denotes a high level of ability.

Hokage: Literally, 'fire shadow.' In Naruto's world, the five most skilled ninja in the world. To understand the other –kages, just think of what country they're from. That's what the prefix means.

Dobe: Literally, 'Dead Last.' Sasuke uses this to talk down to Naruto, because Sasuke has the world's BIGGEST superiority complex. The –kun suffix at the end makes it a nickname.

Ramen: Dude, give me a break. Go to college. Then you'll know what ramen is.

Kono Ha Maru Ha no Jutsu: Hehe. Okay, I admit it, I made this up for Konohamaru just because I could. It translates, more or less, as 'The Fire Circle Wave Skill," which makes a pretty decent name for a technique. Much better than the Uzumaki Naruto Combo. Anyway, I just thought that it'd be fun to give Konohamaru a unique technique, and since I'm writing this fic, I get to do it. So there.

Jutsu: Skill. This is added at the end of any technique performed in Naruto.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

" " = Talking

/ / = Thinking

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Two: A Little Bit of Yesterday

"You're kidding me, right?" Sasuke said, annoyedly. "You asked Dobe-kun to join us for the jounin test? He's not even a chuunin!"

"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not even here!" Naruto shouted, slipping back into familiar patterns with Sasuke, despite the fact that the two of them had deliberately avoided each other for the last two years.

More than a little of Naruto's annoyance with Sasuke at this particular moment was linked to more than the Uchiha youth's sneering comments. Naruto could see the way Sakura was looking at him, and found himself again jealous of the raven-haired boy's looks. Sasuke had cut his hair shorter, and while it was still long enough to be wild and swept up and away from his face, he no longer had the bangs that had characterized him for so long. The boy's eyes had only grown darker as time had progressed. Now, they were such an inky dark shade of chocolate brown that they were virtually indistinguishable from the black of his pupils. He wore a blue scarf, which covered his face up to just above his mouth. The tail ends of the scarf trailed off down his back, hanging just above his rear. Sasuke also wore a light gray zippered jacket. It had black piping along all of its' seams, which fed very well into his pants, baggy black affairs that appeared to be made out of denim, but Naruto wasn't sure.

"Then challenge me," Sasuke taunted, his grin looking more like a sneer. "I'll put you in the hospital again."

"Bring it on!" Naruto shot back, his eyes glinting. "And I'll show everybody that your victory was just a fluke!"

"Guys, quit it," Sakura commanded, stepping between the two. "Sasuke, we need a third person to be eligible for the jounin test. Naruto's it. That's just the long and the short of it." Sasuke turned away with a harrumph, but didn't audibly protest any further. "Naruto, just try not to get into any fights with Sasuke. At the most, this should only be for a couple of weeks. After that, you won't have to see each other again."

"All right, Sakura-san. I guess he's just not worth it," Naruto sighed, turning away from Sasuke as well.

"You looking to get hurt? I'll drop you like a sack of bricks." Sasuke growled, turning back. His eyes were cold with anger at Naruto's comment.

"No way!" Naruto cried, sliding into a fighting stance after facing Sasuke again. "You only won last time because you cheated. The San Bubun Azarashi no Jutsu is only good against me, and learning a technique that only works against one person aint fair!"

"Fair is surviving. Fair is winning. Your corpse isn't going to care weather or not its' life was ended fairly or not." Sasuke shot back, his hand sliding behind his back for a kunai.

"For the love of God, you two are ridiculous!" Sakura shouted, stepping between them again. "Sasuke, go off and train. We'll meet at ten tomorrow to register for the exam. And show some of that legendary self-control next time you meet up with Naruto so that it looks like we could actually function as a team!" Sakura commanded, shoving Naruto bodily away from Sasuke. The dark-haired boy sighed and walked away, not saying anything further.

"That's right," Naruto started, sending a snipe out at Sasuke, but Sakura whacked him on the side of the head.

"You're not any better than he is, you know," Sakura admonished, and Naruto finally relaxed. Sakura let up on her shoving. Fortunately, Sasuke either hadn't heard or he hadn't cared. "You've really got to learn how to pretend to like him, at least, or we'll never get accepted tomorrow."

"I know, Sakura-san," Naruto sighed, looking down. "He's just so… you know," he continued, motioning for Sakura to walk next to him as he walked away from their meeting point with Sasuke. /Why is it always Sasuke that gets everything that I want without even trying?/ Naruto wondered, feeling defeated, though his opponent hadn't thrown a single punch.

"It's okay, Naruto. He's not the same person that he was before the first chuunin exam. He's just so much… darker, more filled with rage now. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with him," Sakura agreed. Naruto found himself looking at her with a measure of surprise; he'd never heard words come out of Sakura's mouth concerning Sasuke that were anything short of glowing. "I mean, normally, he's the same Sasuke that I've known forever. Sometimes, though, he turns into this… other person. It's like there's two of him, or something," Sakura explained, and Naruto's hopes crashed as soon as they'd been formed.

"Kinda like you, huh?" Naruto joked, covering for his own disappointment.

"Hey, now," Sakura replied, punching him lightly in the arm. "I'm different. The other me is actually normal. Kind of. Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I just remembered. She's been bugging me to talk to you. Give me a second here," Sakura said, stopping to summon up her chakra while closing her eyes. She then performed three quick hand seals, and called out, "Jinkaku Kokan no Jutsu!"

Sakura's eyes eased open, and they were different, as Naruto had come to expect. The most obvious thing was that they had changed from their previously pale green to an almost shockingly bright blue. Also, they weren't as… soft as they had been before. They had a hardness, and a mischievousness that hadn't been there before.

"Hiya, Naruto-kun," Sakura said, her voice deeper and silkier than it was normally. It had taken Naruto a while to get used to this after they'd developed the Jinkaku Kokan, but he now knew to take it in stride.

"What's up, Sakura-chan? I haven't seen you in a while," Naruto said easily as the two made their way into the business section.

"Not too much. I've been wanting to thank you for all the help you've been with my training. I really owe you one for spending all that time with me when you didn't even know the weapon that well," Sakura said, smiling. "So I've decided to treat you to lunch," she continued, pointing at the Ichiraku Ramen bar. Naruto looked at it, then looked back at her.

"Have you cleared this with the other Sakura? I mean, it's her money, technically," Naruto asked. Despite the caution of his words, he could not hide his excitement at the prospect of getting a free lunch at Ichiraku… a treat that he couldn't enjoy very often.

"Yeah, it's cool," Sakura replied, leading Naruto into the noodle bar. Naruto paused for a moment to shake his head at how easily he and Inner Sakura got along, once they had actually met. That had been the purpose of developing the Jinkaku Kokan- Ino had told him about Sakura's 'second person,' and he'd been intrigued. When he asked Sakura about it, she had admitted that sometimes she felt like there was another person inside of her, thinking and doing things that she wouldn't even think of. It had turned out that Inner Sakura, or Sakura-chan as Naruto called her, was very similar to him in terms of personality. She was determined, mischievous, and rather reckless. She was fun, however and, surprisingly, much better than normal Sakura at taijutsu. On the other hand, Sakura-chan was just hopeless at ninjutsu and genjutsu.

"What're you waiting for, Naruto-kun?" Sakura called. Naruto shook himself out of his reverie and joined her in the noodle bar.

The chef took one look at him and said, "I know you're a good customer, Naruto, but no more until you pay off your tab!"

"Sorry," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. "Payday isn't until tomorrow, but Sakura-chan here said that she'd pay for me today." The chef looked at the pink-haired girl, who nodded to him and patted the seat next to her for Naruto to sit on.

"What'll it be?" the chef asked, pulling out a pair of large bowls.

"Miso ramen, please," Naruto said happily. The chef looked at him with a cocked eyebrow, looking like he was expecting a larger order from the youth, but he kept quiet.

"And you?" he asked Sakura, moving to pull some freshly cut noodles out of the refrigerator and put them in boiling water.

"Beef and pork ramen, please," Sakura ordered, smiling. The chef nodded and put more noodles in the boiling water, while he prepared the broth and fixings for the two orders.

"Sakura-san's gonna kill you for that," Naruto cautioned, knowing how closely Sakura-san watched her diet. /Girls,/ he thought with a grin.

"No, she won't. She'll kill me for something else," Sakura said cryptically. Naruto was about to ask her for more details, but then decided that it was probably in the best interests of his health not to ask.

"Okay," he agreed, shaking his head. "So, what does the jounin test consist of?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Well, I know that it's three parts, just like the chuunin test. And I know that they'll be designed to evaluate us in areas that would be important if we were to become jounin. Aside from that, I couldn't tell ya. They change the things every year, so…" Sakura trailed off, shrugging. "Whatever they are, they'll use jounin, and not just Leaf jounin either. They hire out jounin from other villages that would be specifically difficult for certain candidates to defeat. It's a pretty brutal test."

"Wow," Naruto said, impressed, then smiled. "Sounds like fun," he grinned excitedly.

"Hell yeah!" Sakura agreed, pumping a fist into the air.

"Ramen's up," the chef said, sliding a bowl across the counter to Naruto, then another to Sakura.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto said cheerfully as he pulled apart his chopsticks. Sakura followed suit a moment later, and just as Naruto was about to start gorging, he noticed something that surprised and pleased him. "Hey," he said to the chef, "you gave me an extra naruto. Thanks!"

"Don't mention it," the chef replied, waving at Naruto over his shoulder. Sakura chuckled at the exchange as she ate her ramen eagerly, savoring the rarely stolen treat of an illicitly fatty meal at outer Sakura's expense. Naruto charged into his ramen, devouring the noodles fairly quickly. He then fished out one naruto and tossed it into his mouth, chewing the treat slowly before swallowing, then grabbed the other with his chopsticks and did the same.

"Eating the naruto is the best part," he said happily after he swallowed the second naruto. Sakura was finishing off her own noodles as well, and watched as Naruto drank his broth. Suddenly, she got a truly evil, horribly terrible thought. She wondered for a second as to weather or not she should do it, then grinned. /Of course,/ she thought deviously as she fished out her own naruto with her chopsticks.

"You know, Naruto-kun, she said, turning to face him. She paused for long enough for Naruto to put down his bowl and turn to look at her. Slowly, she raised the squashed fish patty to her mouth and breathed, "eating the naruto is my favorite part too." As she said this, she took a slow, sensuous bit out of the little red-and-white fish patty. Naruto twitched for a minute, then fell over backwards off of his stool, blood leaking in a little rivulet down from his nose. Sakura couldn't take it any more and burst out laughing. When Naruto picked himself up off of the floor and glared at her for the bad joke, she only laughed harder. (If you didn't get this, see Side Note 1)

"That was horrible," Naruto muttered as he slid back onto his stool. Sakura had finally calmed down somewhat, her laughter subsiding.

She looked at Naruto for a moment, grinned, and said, "I know." Naruto sighed exasperatedly and shook his head, while Sakura picked up her own bowl and drank the broth.

"So, is that what outer Sakura's going to kill you for?" Naruto asked once she'd finished.

"Nope," Sakura replied, setting the bowl on the bar in front of her. She then rose and fished a bill out of her pocket, then handed it to the chef. He quickly made change for her and handed it back.

"You're kidding me, right?" Naruto asked, rising from his stool and nodding his thanks to the chef.

"Well, she's gonna be pissed about it," Sakura agreed, pocketing her leftover money. "But this is gonna make her a lot more uncomfortable." That said, she leaned in towards Naruto until her face was only a hair's breadth from his own. Naruto froze, staring at the slightly taller girl. "I don't know why outer Sakura likes Sasuke any more," she whispered into Naruto's ear. "But I've definitely gotten to like you," she finished, punctuating the sentence with a light, almost fleeting kiss on the cheek. Then she pulled away and said, smiling widely, "See you tomorrow at ten at the headquarters! Don't forget!"

Naruto stood, frozen in place, as Sakura ran off into the marketplace. He heard the chef chuckle behind him, but it didn't really register. His mind was racing, thinking about what Sakura had said to him. /Shit,/ he thought suddenly, remembering just who had said that to him. /I don't even know if she was being serious or pulling another prank on me./ Naruto sighed deeply, then pushed aside the cloth that hung over the entrance of the Ichiraku ramen bar and stepped outside. /This is gonna keep me up all night tonight. How troublesome,/ he thought, turning to walk home. Then he stopped for a moment and chuckled to himself, and thought, /I sound just like Shikamaru. Damn. Oh, well./

As he walked home, buried in his own thoughts, he didn't notice for once how almost every other person in the village moved to get well away from him as he walked.

* * * * * *

Sasuke stood alone in his own one-room apartment late that night. He was tired and sweaty from a full day of training- it had taken him that long to get over his annoyance at Naruto. He unwound the scarf around his neck, and draped it over a hook on the wall. He then unzipped his high-necked jacket, and hung it on the same hook that his scarf hung on. Clad only in his pants and a sleeveless undershirt, he looked at himself in the mirror for a moment, then looked away. Where there had once been a single seal around the damned curse seal that Orochimaru had given him, there were now five rings, each bigger than the last. The largest of these rings extended all the way around his shoulder blade and left pectoral. It wrapped around underneath his arm, and formed a band on his bicep. More notably, it extended up his neck, the highest spire of the seal edging its' way onto his cheek. In the middle of it all, the three comma-like dots of the curse seal spun, as always, glowing a bright red-orange

Kakashi had noticed that his first seal hadn't been enough a little over three years ago, and had added a second seal to the first. When that too had failed to keep the curse seal completely contained, Kakashi had approached Tsunade, who had placed the next two rings of sealing on him. Even that hadn't been enough to completely hold the damned thing, so Tsunade had called in a favor from Jiraiya a little over two years ago. Sasuke had been present when she'd asked him, and even now he wished that he hadn't. An argument had exploded between them, which had lasted for a full three hours before it had come to a climax.

Jiraiya was incensed that Naruto had been passed over for promotion so many times, and Tsunade was pleading helplessness, even while she accused Jiraiya of being completely biased. Sasuke was of the opinion that, though he was good, Naruto just didn't match up to himself or the other chuunin, especially since he got to cheat and use the demon fox's power for himself.

He had learned of Naruto's seal one day while they were training with Kakashi. Water walking for chakra control or some such. Anyway, Naruto had stripped down to a pair of swimming trunks, and Sasuke had seen the four-point seal on Naruto's stomach… so much like his own seal. It hadn't taken much work to pry out of some unsuspecting villager the real story behind the demon fox's attack. After that, he'd only had to ask Kakashi for instruction in the art of temporary combat seals. He'd managed to develop his own variety, a three-part seal that would completely scramble the chakra flow of anybody it was placed upon… so long as that person had chakra of a type not his or her own. Considering that he'd created the skill on his own in little more than a month, Sasuke had been rather proud of himself. When he'd actually successfully used the technique on Naruto, he'd been elated, but he hadn't anticipated that it would burn out all of his own chakra to use. Even as such, he was better than Naruto in straight taijutsu, and had been able to beat the blond-haired boy without too much difficulty.

When Jiraiya had stormed out of the room, he'd shaken himself from his reverie. Tsunade sank back into her chair, looking tired and old. She held her head in her hands for a while, and Sasuke chose not to disturb her silence. Eventually, she raised her head to look at him.

"Jiraiya will put the fifth seal on you, but he's leaving the village afterwards. As long as Orochimaru doesn't do anything more to you, the curse seal will be contained permanently, and it won't be passed on to any children that you might have," she addressed him wearily, her head still supported by her hands. "Hell, by the time you're fifty or so, the damn thing might actually be gone," she said with a harrumph. "The seal will work by keeping the seal activated constantly, but it will shunt the energy out of your body. It will also reinforce the other four seals to keep the curse seal contained," Tsunade explained, then rose to address him properly. "Go home. Jiraiya said that he'd be ready for you in a week."

Sasuke shook his head, bringing himself back to the here and now. True to his word, Jiraiya's seal had worked perfectly. After two full years of functioning, the diameter of the curse seal's spin had shrunk in size by a full millimeter from all the energy it had been forced to expend. Sasuke had taken to wearing high-necked clothing and scarves immediately after the sealing ceremony, to continue to hide the abysmal mark that dominated his body.

Somewhere, deep inside himself, he hated both the curse seal and the five seals that sealed it. Were it unsealed, he knew that the curse seal could offer him great power. He didn't know what price this power would come at, but he had tasted it before… and he'd liked it. For that, he hated the protective seals.

But he also hated the curse seal itself. The one effect that nobody had been able to contain was the long-term retardation of his chakra generating skills that the curse seal had forced on him. Never had this been more apparent to him than when Itachi had returned, for a single day. Sasuke had seen him, and immediately tried to kill him. Itachi had brushed both him and his attacks aside with ease, then had ripped off his shirt to reveal the curse seal and the seals surrounding it. Even the cold, hard face of the elder Uchiha fell when he saw Orochimaru's curse seal.

"You allowed yourself to be tainted by Orochimaru's filth?" Itachi had asked coldly, holding Sasuke's left shoulder in a vicelike grip. Sasuke could only gasp and nod, his hands trying to pull Itachi's hand off of his shoulder. Itachi pulled his younger brother close to his face. Sasuke could feel his older brother's hot breath on his cheek as he turned his face away. "You have just caused me a great deal of trouble," Itachi finally said, after a long pause. "Do not waste the time it will take me to fix this." He then dropped Sasuke on the ground and walked away. Sasuke could only writhe on the ground, clutching his shoulder.

With an almost physical effort of will, Sasuke pushed the unpleasant memory from his mind, and stripped down the rest of the way, before changing into a fresh sleeveless t-shirt and a pair of new boxers. Doing his best not to think about the past at all, he pulled out his futon and laid down to go to sleep on it. He looked out the window at the moon, hanging full and heavy just above the horizon.

/Moody night tonight,/ Sasuke thought as he drifted off to sleep.

* * * * * *

/Moody night tonight,/ Naruto thought as he stared up at the stars from his apartment building's roof. Just as he'd thought, he'd been kept up that night, but it hadn't been Sakura-chan's pranks that had done it, as he had suspected earlier. Seeing Sasuke had brought back a lot of old, smoldering feelings that he thought he'd left buried in the past. Mostly, he found himself thinking about the finals of his second chuunin tournament; the only time he and Sasuke had ever fought for real.

*** Three Years, Six Months Ago ***

Naruto stood in the arena, grinning excitedly. His body was practically humming with anticipation. Sasuke, standing six feet away from him, was smiling broadly as well.

The exam proctor, some chuunin whose name Naruto had long forgotten, dropped his right arm, shouting, "Begin!" Naruto dashed to the side. He had sparred with Sasuke often enough to know that the raven-haired boy was his superior in taijutsu, but not by much. /Besides,/ he thought as he gathered chakra into his right hand. The air there began to stir, moving about faster and faster. /I've finally mastered the Rasengan!/

Sasuke was moving opposite to him, and Naruto could see that his sharingan eyes were swirling around his pupils. Sasuke was not copying him, however, instead performing a series of hand seals as he ran, keeping his distance from Naruto for now.

/Shit!/ Naruto thought as he realized that he hadn't seen Sasuke use this combination of seals before. /He's got something new too!/ Considering that Sasuke had been making seals for almost ten seconds now, it would be something powerful, too. It was just then that he felt the almost subconscious tug from his right hand that told him that the Rasengan was ready. Naruto turned and charged straight towards Sasuke.

"Rasengan!" he shouted as he closed the distance between himself and his opponent. Sasuke made a final seal, the index, middle, and ring fingers of his right hand held by his entire left hand. The three fingertips began to glow with an eldritch blue light, and the characters for 'heaven,' 'earth,' and 'hell' could be faintly made out among the flickering light of his fingertips.

"San Bubun Azarashi no Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, and his entire right hand exploded into blue flame. The three characters seemed to enlarge, and Sasuke began to retreat, slowing the relative speed of Naruto's advance.

/Three part seal?/ Naruto thought to himself worriedly, then shook his head. /I'm already committed. One hit with the Rasengan and it's over for Sasuke./ Naruto leapt forward, his right hand outstretched, the Rasengan whirling furiously in his hand. Sasuke grinned, having predicted Naruto's reckless, all-or-nothing attack. He dove to the left, holding his right hand out and away from both the ground and his body. Naruto, over committed, fell to the ground where Sasuke had just been, his hand leading the way. Instead of protecting the already-formed Rasengan and risking his own health, he allowed his hand to strike the hard-packed sand of the arena floor first. The Rasengan detonated, sending sand and dust flying everywhere and completely obscuring Naruto from view.

Sasuke climbed to his feet, watching the billowing dust cloud warily. He was glad that he'd recognized the danger that Naruto's new technique had represented. If it was as powerful as his own Chidori, that would have been very painful. He glanced at his hand to make sure that the San Bubun Azarashi was still active, and nodded when he saw that it was. He then looked back at the dust cloud, just in time to see Naruto rocket out of the top. The blond-haired boy was performing hand seals, so Sasuke immediately began to run, hoping to get to Naruto's landing point before Naruto did.

"Have a taste of your own medicine!" Naruto shouted, holding his hands in a ring around his mouth. Sasuke, long a veteran of powerful fire skills, recognized the danger immediately, and leapt straight up, and out of the range of what he knew was coming; he knew the skill too, but he also knew it's weakness.

"Shinwa Hana Ka no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, exhaling into the circle that his hands formed. From them sprung fireball after fireball, five in all, that crashed harmlessly down to the ground below. Naruto's breath was soon exhausted, however, and the boy dropped to the ground, landing lightly, and stood, gasping to recover the air that he'd lost from his mighty exhalation.

Sasuke landed lightly too, and immediately charged forward at Naruto. This was the blond-haired boy's moment of greatest weakness; Sasuke knew that he'd run out of energy from dodging long before Naruto ran out of the demon fox's chakra. This moment of breathlessness was Sasuke's best chance, and he took advantage of it. Naruto had just enough time to turn around before Sasuke's fingers slammed into his belly, the middle one slipping right into the depression in Naruto's jacket formed by his navel.

"Heaven, Earth, and Hell seal!" Sasuke declared as his hand flared brightly once more, then snuffed out. Both boys collapsed to the ground. Naruto grabbed his head in both hands and rolled away from Sasuke, who was picking himself up slowly from the ground. /Wow,/ he thought, shaking his head. /That ate up ALL of my chakra. Guess this is just taijutsu now./

"Auuugh!" Naruto screamed, rolling to his knees. "What did you do to me? My head feels like it's about to explode!"

"That seal scrambles the hell out of your chakra patterns," Sasuke huffed, adopting a defensive fighting stance. "Nothing is usable. Just try and perform a jutsu now."

"Fine!" Naruto shouted, crossing his fingers in an all-too familiar seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he shouted, waiting expectantly. Bright blue, then a little red chakra flared around him, soaking into the air all around him. Naruto roared with effort, even more red chakra pouring out of him until it looked like he was the center of a raging bonfire. Still, not a single clone appeared. "What?" he said, surprised, as his aura of power died down.

"I told you already, dobe," Sasuke taunted, having gotten his breath back. "It won't work."

"You bastard!" Naruto shouted, his rage blocking out the pain in his head. The blond-haired boy charged forward to attack Sasuke. Both drew kunai, and were soon trading blows.

Naruto led with a vicious backhanded stab from above, which Sasuke batted away to the left, swaying away from the blade just in case. His left hand, unencumbered, dipped back into the pouch on his back, and emerged with three shuriken held tightly between his fingers.

Sasuke's opponent recovered quickly, almost too quickly. Naruto must have been expecting the simple defense, and the return upward slash told of it. Sasuke had to step back with his forward-facing leg so that the kunai wouldn't carve a line in his chest. As it was, the sharp kunai caught his trailing shirt, slashing it in twain from the waist to the neck. The kunai just barely missed Sasuke's face, and the darker-haired boy paid for his initial overconfidence dramatically. Naruto used the momentum gained from his upwards-and-right slash to rotate on his own forward leg, bringing forward his rear leg for a powerful kick, delivered squarely to Sasuke's chest.

The dark-haired boy was sent tumbling backwards, but he held on to his shuriken and his kunai. As soon as he wasn't tumbling constantly, Sasuke threw his shuriken forward. Naruto, who had pressed the advantage, was forced to stop his charge and dodge to the side to avoid getting impaled by the three spinning throwing stars. By the time he was able to re-start his charge, Sasuke had skidded to a crouching stop. The dour boy made a few quick cuts to his tattered shirt, then ripped the remnants off, eliminating a possible point of advantage for Naruto. From behind him, Sasuke could hear a sudden collective scream of excitement from many of the females gathered to watch. He had neglected to wear an undershirt today, and his sweat-drenched torso was exposed for all the world to see. Even Sasuke couldn't help but spare a grin of satisfaction at this, but he only had that moment of satisfaction before Naruto was on him again.

Again Naruto stabbed from above and to the right, but Sasuke wasn't about to let him get away with the same feint twice. Sasuke flipped his kunai around in his hand and caught the point of Naruto's kunai in the finger-ring of his own. He then slammed an open-handed palm into Naruto's solar plexus. Naruto, his breath lost and his strength momentarily sapped, loosened his grip on his kunai just enough for Sasuke to twist his and send Naruto's spinning away. Naruto staggered back a few steps and Sasuke moved forward, flipping his kunai back to its proper orientation. He then slashed sideways at the smaller boy, but Naruto grinned and dropped down suddenly. Having feigned the stunning after the initial blow, he caught Sasuke completely off-guard with his sudden counterattack. His left leg spun around, catching Sasuke's and sending the dark-haired boy tumbling to the ground. Sasuke's kunai hit the ground poorly, and Sasuke was forced to toss it aside to avoid stabbing himself.

Naruto rolled back, got his feet underneath him, and sprung forward, hoping to tackle the prone boy. Sasuke was ready, however, and as Naruto dove onto him, he caught the smaller boy with his legs, flexed them, and shoved them out, sending Naruto tumbling away. Sasuke then kick flipped himself to a standing stance, even as Naruto clambered to his feet as well.

Almost in unison, the boys charged forward at each other. They traded quick blows with one another, scoring minor hits and blocking major ones. After this had continued for a short while, with neither boy gaining the advantage, Naruto reared back and sent a powerful punch straight for Sasuke's upper chest. Sasuke realized that he couldn't block it, considering the strength of the blow, and threw himself backwards in a desperate attempt to make Naruto pay for his gamble. Naruto, not expecting such a gymnastic maneuver from Sasuke, found himself overextended as Sasuke's hands found the ground. Naruto looked down just in time to see Sasuke's feet coming up vertically in a powerful kick. There was no time to dodge; Naruto took the full force of the blow to his face as Sasuke continued his hand flip backwards. The sheer force of the blow lifted Naruto upwards and backwards, reeling from the unexpected counter.

Sasuke found his feet quickly, and dashed forward just as Naruto began to descend from his short, and unwanted, flight. The dark-haired boy winced as his right foot touched the ground, but he had no time to think of such things. Judging the distance between himself and Naruto, Sasuke sent himself into a spinning jump, kicking his right foot out as he rotated. Just as Naruto was about to touch ground, Sasuke's foot caught him full in the chest. Naruto was sent flying backwards from the impact, falling to the ground and tumbling backwards. Then the wall of the arena was there, and the back of his head hit it, hard. Pain flared in Naruto's head for a moment, then everything went black. The last thing he had seen was Sasuke falling to the ground, clutching his ankle.

*** Present ***

Naruto sat up with a sigh. He'd learned when he woke up that the force of the impact had given him a concussion. Sasuke had overused his right leg, however, and had sprained his ankle very badly. /If I hadn't been knocked out by the damn wall,/ Naruto thought wistfully, /I probably woulda won that fight./ Then he sighed again, and swung down off the roof. He dropped four floors, then grabbed the upper side of his windowsill and swung into his apartment. He landed lightly, careful not to wake his downstairs neighbor. His bed was unmade, as always. Naruto pulled his shirt and pants off and tossed them into a corner of his room that he tossed all of his dirty clothes into. He noted that the pile was getting pretty large. /Gotta to do laundry tomorrow,/ he thought as he scratched his armpit and yawned. His alarm clock, a cheap glow-in-the-dark buzzer, declared the time to be two in the morning. Naruto shook his head and, clad only in boxers, toppled into his bed.

/Really fucking moody night tonight,/ he thought as sleep finally found him.

*** Author's Notes ***

Thank you to EVERYBODY who's given me feedback so far! I was really surprised at the sheer quantity that I've gotten, between the FFML and . Thanks, everybody!

As far as new chapters are concerned, I will TRY to post a new chapter every week. My week ends on Sunday. If I miss a week… well, I'm sorry, but tough! I'm a college student, so sometimes real life trumps fanfiction. Anyway, I want to give a great big shout out to Thermopyle, who has been gracious enough to agree to preread for me. Thanks a million, man. If anyone else would like to preread, drop me a line!

Anyway, I do admit that Inner Sakura, after having trained with Naruto over the past two years or so, has come to like him, mainly due to the fact that they're very much alike. Am I going to make this a Naruto/Sakura pairing? That's for me to know and you to find out. Remember, though, Outer Sakura still is very much not interested in Naruto in that way. If you have no earthly idea what the hell I'm talking about, and haven't yet figured out what I've done to poor Sakura, read the New Techniques list below.

Thanks again!

~Flash ()

Side Note 1: The little spiky swirly round thingy in a Japanese Ramen dish is called a naruto. For a more complete explanation on my horrible, horrible pun, go here ( /naruto/ ) and click on 'Name.' Very good explanation on the great big pun that is Naruto's name.

Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

There's a tie this week! Due to the two different time spans in which this fic is grounded this week, there is one song for each time span.

The Sasuke/Naruto Fight: Exhale (Break the Pressure), by Prodigy. I have no link for this one. It's a very nifty song, though. Lots of sword-slashy sounds.

Everything Else: Ice Capped, by MCVaffe. This is a remix of the old Sonic 3 song, "Ice Cap Zone," and is one of the prettiest pieces of music I've ever heard. This is DEFINITELY a song to download. Here's the link to the review/download site: .?mixid=OCR00240

Coincidentally, Overclocked Remix had LOADS of very very good music. Surf around, if you've got the kind of bandwidth that I only dream about.

New Moves: Over the course of four years, people learn new techniques. Here, I will explain them.

Jinkaku Kokan no Jutsu- Personality Swap Skill (Sakura). This jutsu allows Inner Sakura to come to the surface as the controlling personality in Sakura's body. Inner Sakura is very aggressive, and has considerably greater taijutsu skill than Outer Sakura. She is, however, almost inept at genjutsu.

Ninja-to- Ninja Sword (Sakura). Not really a jutsu, but Sakura now wields a ninja-to with a fair measure of skill. Inner Sakura is extremely dangerous with this weapon, and approaches mastery-level skill with it. A Ninja-to is basically a katana without the curve. It is also about 2 inches shorter than a katana.

San Bubun Azarashi no Jutsu- Three-Part Seal Skill (Sasuke). This jutsu only works on individuals that have some outside source that is augmenting their chakra to a greater level than would otherwise be normal. This seal does not require direct skin-to-skin contact to function- pressure is enough. If successfully placed, this seal scrambles the target's chakra supply completely, and rendering any chakra-based skills unusable. It does, however, drain the user of all available chakra, therefore reducing the fight to straight taijutsu. The Three-Part Seal wears off after an hour or so.

Translations: (I won't translate the new Jutsu names any more- the translations are already listed.)

Ichiraku: 'One Comfort,' literally. Very cute.

Itadakimasu: A formal phrase said in Japan at the beginning of a meal. Literally translates as 'I Receive.'

Shinwa Hana Ka no Jutsu: Literally, 'Mythical Fire Flower Skill.' Sasuke used this skill in the battle against the Sound ninja in the canon chuunin exam.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

" " = Talking

/ / = Thinking

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Three: Surprises

Sasuke awoke in sudden and excruciating agony. His eyes flew open, reflexively summoning the power of the Sharingan. Red eyes scanned the room, even as his hands flew to his shoulder, where Orochimaru's curse seal felt like it was burning a hole in his body. The first thought that registered in Sasuke's pain-clouded mind was that it was dark. /It's still night, then,/ Sasuke thought in between waves of agony. Than another burst of intense pain his him, and all Sasuke could do was arch his back as he endured it.

The young man tried to move his feet, to pull himself into a sitting position, but every time he tried, the pain flared up again. The skin on his shoulder where the curse seal rested was becoming hot- very hot. Again, the pain welled up within him, and this time Sasuke could not even find the strength of will to keep a moan of agony from escaping his mouth. Another burst came, this one faster than the last, and his moan became a scream. His hands felt like they were burning, his shoulder was so hot, but Sasuke didn't remove them; he couldn't. Every movement he made brought new pain from the curse seal. Another wave came, only this one didn't subside. It grew and grew, while Sasuke lost all control and writhed, screaming in pain. Somehow, he managed to roll himself off of the futon and onto the floor, where he laid on his stomach, too hurt to even move.

Then, with a sudden snapping feeling, as if something had given up, the pain subsided almost all of the way. Sasuke, on shaky arms and legs, pushed himself to his feet and stumbled over to his mirror. The pain was returning, slowly. After what had seemed like hours to the hurting boy, Sasuke made it to his dresser, over which hung a small mirror, the only one in his tiny apartment. He turned sideways to it, even as he could feel the pain swelling inside of him, and pulled down the shoulder strap of his sleeveless t-shirt.

The curse seal had somehow activated. It was attempting to spread its' red tendrils of power and insanity across his body, but the seals were holding it in check. Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized that there were now only four seals holding the curse seal in check; it had overwhelmed the first. /That must be why the pain stopped,/ Sasuke reasoned before the first wave of pain hit him. The growth of the seal was slow, and gradual, but it was approaching the second containment seal. As the curse seal neared it, the containment seal began to glow red as well, and repel the curse seal. Each wave of repulsion, Sasuke noticed, accompanied a wave of pain. Every time, however, the curse seal drew closer to the containment seal before it was repelled. The next wave of pain, however, was so intense that Sasuke toppled off of his feet, landing hard on the wooden floor of his apartment. With each wave of pain thereafter, Sasuke managed to twitch his head down, until he managed to get a sidelong view of his seals. The last thing he saw, as the most intense wave of pain yet washed over him, was the second containment seal evaporating into spectral red flame.

Then there was only darkness as Sasuke dropped into blessed unconsciousness.

* * * * * *

Naruto pulled himself out of bed, swatting the 'off' button on the blaring alarm clock that sat just out of arm's reach from his bed. The youth had learned the hard way that if he left it within arms' reach of the bed, he'd fall back asleep. He didn't often have to use the damned thing, but when he had a morning appointment, and he'd been up late the night before, he knew enough to set it.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he was glad that he'd had the common sense to set it just in case when he'd walked in yesterday. He had completely forgotten to check it before he went to bed.

As Naruto went through his morning routine, waking up in slow degrees, he thought about Sakura and Sasuke, reminiscing about times long past, when they had still been a real team. He had stayed friends with Sakura, but once Sasuke had defeated him in the chuunin exam and been promoted, the ever-superior black-haired boy had done his best to stay away from Naruto, out of contempt. After a few bad exchanges with Sasuke, Naruto had also decided to avoid the other boy, out of anger and frustration.

Sakura had been the only link between them, and she'd done her best never to mention one of them to the other. Around Sasuke, she pined after him, and did her best to gain some level of respect from him. He responded to her in the same way that he always had; by brushing her off and moving to do more important things. Around Naruto, Sakura had managed to relax somewhat, especially after Naruto realized how much his constant come-ons were alienating her.

Their relationship had taken an interesting turn when Naruto had found out about Inner Sakura in a celebratory dinner with Ino, when she'd managed to pass the chuunin exam. They had been reminiscing about old fights, when Sakura and Ino's first fight had come up. Ino had flippantly mentioned how her Shintenshin had failed against Sakura had failed because, as she had said, "The girl's crazy! There's two of her in there!" Sakura had yelled at Ino, and everybody had shared a good laugh.

Later, Naruto had asked Sakura about what Ino had said. To this day, he was still amazed that she had had enough confidence in him to tell him the truth, that what Ino had said was true. Since he and Sakura had been training together, on an off-and-on basis anyway, he proposed that the 'other her' might be useful, in a different way than Sakura could normally fight. Naruto had talked to Jiraiya about his idea, and the white-haired ninja had been rather surprised that Naruto had been so perceptive. From that point, it had taken little effort to enlist Jiraiya to assist in the development of what was quickly dubbed the Jinkaku Kokan. It had taken a little more than three weeks for it to work the first time. Another month after that, Sakura had mastered the newly created technique. The first time, however, had been… memorable.

He was crouching in front of her, watching as she carefully molded her chakra. Sakura had been trying all day, with no success. Jiraiya had left hours ago, having become bored with Sakura's repeated attempts and subsequent failures. Again, Sakura had failed, opening her eyes and sighing deeply.

"I don't think it's gonna work," Sakura had said, easing out of her cross-legged sitting position a bit.

"Don't give up that easily!" Naruto had encouraged her, patting Sakura's shoulder as he did so. "One more time. That's all I'm asking," Naruto had relented when he saw her about to get up. Sakura gave him a long, hard look, then sighed again.

"All right," she had said, sitting back down. In a moment, she had summoned her chakra, and was performing the three simple hand seals for the technique: mouse, horse, tiger. "Jinkaku Kokan no Jutsu," she had whispered as she concentrated. Naruto thought he saw a bit of chakra flare after that, but he'd thought that for the last five attempts. Then, he'd heard a quiet murmuring coming from Sakura. He wasn't sure what she was saying, but she was doing so in a rather unsettlingly angry voice.

"Umm… Sakura? Are you all right?" he'd asked, leaning over her to try and hear what she was saying, as well as to check and make sure that she was all right. What he'd heard had surprised him.

"… damn jackass. I'm gonna kick his ass for this, and then I'm gonna kick his mother's ass for creating him. Don't matter that he doesn't have a mother, I'm gonna kick it anyway," she was murmuring, almost inaudibly. Upon hearing Naruto's words, her eyes had flown open, flaring with anger. For a moment, Naruto had been surprised that they were blue. Soon, he'd had much more important things to be surprised at.

"What the HELL do YOU want?!" Sakura had demanded loudly, then clasped her hands over her mouth. Naruto had very nearly fallen over, having heard that particular phrase come out of Sakura's mouth.

"HELL YEAH!" she had shouted, thrusting her right fist as far into the air as it would go. Shortly after she'd launched this maneuver, her fist had impacted something. No matter. It moved with her fist as it continued upwards, so she paid it no mind. A moment later, Naruto toppled to the ground, a rather nasty imprint of a fist on the bottom of his chin.

"Well, looks like she got it," Jiraiya had commented, walking back into the clearing.

At first, Inner Sakura had been somewhat similar to Outer Sakura, except for the fact that she was a near-genius in regards to taijutsu, especially weapons-based taijutsu. As time progressed, however, the two Sakuras seemed to polarize, Outer Sakura becoming a little more shy and reserved, while Inner Sakura became even more exuberant and mischievous than she had started as. The key parts of their personalities, however, remained the same. Inner Sakura was a troublemaker at heart, and the most notable change, as time progressed, was that soon nobody was safe from her, whereas she had once respected certain boundaries of rank and power. Outer Sakura was a scholar, but was never afraid to speak her mind. She would keep certain things to herself now, except around friends, that she would have said to anybody before, but otherwise Outer Sakura hadn't changed much.

One thing, Naruto noted, was that Inner Sakura loved her body. Outer Sakura loved it too, but not in the way that Inner Sakura did. He often saw Inner Sakura using her body to distract her opponent at a critical moment in a fight. She was utterly ruthless and took great delight when such a simple tactic succeeded, as it often did. Nobody was safe; she had even used such tactics against him before. Naruto blushed, remembering how easy it had been for the pink-haired girl to make him miss his landing on a rather large jump because, as she had pushed herself off the ground, she had shoved her rear in the air in his direction. Naruto could still remember how badly his head had hurt when it had smacked into a stone in the ground that he hadn't seen. Sakura-chan hadn't stopped laughing for a good half hour as Naruto sullenly cradled his head.

/Of course,/ Naruto thought as he locked his front door, /I usually give as good as I get. I've just been off my game lately./ He hung his head, remembering how easily Sakura had been able to sucker him with that horrible naruto pun. The blond-haired boy then shook his head and began a leisurely walk towards the central Konoha ninja offices. He had allowed himself a half-hour for a fifteen-minute walk, so he took his time, enjoying the crisp morning air. Inner Sakura had decided to focus on the ninja-to as her main weapon, and Naruto had to admit that she was good with it. She had taught herself a number of Konoha style katana skills, but she refused to announce them as she used them. She said that she'd rather hit with the technique than have it sound cool. Naruto had given up at that point. Then, rounding a corner in front of him, Naruto saw Sakura's pink flash of hair. She hadn't seen him; her back was turned to Naruto at the moment. Naruto started to jog to catch up to her.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called as he jogged, calling her Sakura-chan, as he always did when he wasn't sure which Sakura was in charge at the moment. Sakura froze in mid-step, her shoulders creeping up a bit. Naruto quickly caught up with her, but as he neared, she turned her head down and away from Naruto. "Good morning, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted her boisterously.

'Uh… hi, Naruto," Sakura replied, her face still hidden from Naruto's view. "And it's just me."

"What's the matter, Sakura-san?" Naruto asked, worried for his friend.

"I… I'm sorry. It's just… something that the other me said yesterday has me rather embarrassed right now," Sakura explained, looking up. Naruto could now see why she'd hidden her face form him; Sakura was blushing furiously.

"The naruto pun or the 'likes me' thing?" Naruto asked dryly. Slowly, the two continued their walk.

"Uhh… the second one," Sakura said in a tiny voice.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto reassured her, thumping her lightly in the back. "She's just pulling another prank on me." Naruto happened to be looking at Sakura when he said this. Had he not, he would have missed the rather considerable darkening of Sakura's blush. "She is, right?" Naruto asked, much less certain of himself. Sakura's blush seemed to, almost imperceptibly deepen for a long moment before she spoke again.

"Umm… I'll see you at the offices, Naruto!" Sakura shouted over her shoulder as she hopped up onto the roof of a nearby building and leapt off towards the offices at high speed. Naruto was left standing alone, confused, and more than a little bit hopeful.

* * * * * *

The world slowly returned to Sasuke. The first thing he realized was that his left shoulder hurt. The second thing he realized was that his head hurt. The third was that neither hurt anywhere nearly as badly as his whole body had hurt the night before, and he was grateful for this, at least. The youth pushed himself to his feet a bit shakily, swaying a bit before he found his balance. Light streamed in through his window, but it didn't make his head hurt any more than it already did.

Sasuke remembered the night before very clearly; he doubted that he could ever forget it. Turning sideways to the mirror, Sasuke examined his shoulder. The surprise that washed over him shook him out of the haze that he had woken up in. Only the outermost of Sasuke's containment seals remained; all four of the interior ones had been burned away. More surprising, though, was the fact that the curse seal itself, the bane of his existence for the last four years, was gone. Of all the seals that had been heaped upon Sasuke, only Jiraiya's angular, wild, containment seal remained, winding over his left pectoral muscle and just behind his left shoulder blade. Alone, Sasuke realized, it looked pretty good, oddly enough.

Suddenly, Sasuke remembered that he had a rather important meeting to attend that morning. He glanced at his wall clock, hanging next to the mirror, and cursed. He was already over half an hour late. Not even bothering with his appearance, he struggled into a pair of loose black jeans, then pulled his white jacket over his sleeveless white t-shirt. One his way out of the room, he grabbed his keys and his forehead protector. He didn't even notice that he'd left his scarf behind.

As Sasuke bounded over the top of building after building in his desperation to make some part of the application meeting with Tsunade, he noticed that his body was moving more fluidly than it normally did. In fact, he couldn't remember feeling this at ease in his own body since Kakashi had put the first containment seal on the curse seal. /Maybe it really is gone,/ he thought to himself. /I'll have Tsunade look at it,/ he shook his head, not having time for deep thought.

He needed to make this meeting because, more importantly, he needed to become a jounin. The rank itself meant nothing to him. Sasuke needed to become a jounin because only jounin could learn certain extremely powerful assassination techniques. The Chidori was only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, and even Sasuke had to admit that it was as much flash as bang, as much as he loved the lethal technique. He needed power. He needed it because he knew something, knew it beyond any level of doubt possible.

Itachi would return.

Sasuke knew this because, as much as he hated it, he knew his brother. Itachi had come four years ago to check on Sasuke's progress as a ninja, whatever else the elder Uchiha had said. Itachi was pressuring Sasuke, and had been all his life. He had killed the entire clan because of it, for no greater reason than because he knew that it would drive Sasuke to the greatest heights of power possible for the younger Uchiha. Sasuke hated Itachi for that flippant act, and hated him more for the fact that he was doing just as Itachi wanted. All his life, he'd pursued power, at whatever the cost… almost.

He had abstained from one technique only, because he feared that, even with it, he would not have enough strength to end Itachi's life. Ever since his brother had come, however, Sasuke had become increasingly convinced that it would be the only way that he could guarantee Itachi's death. Ironically, this very technique was the only reason that Sasuke still lived. On the other hand, it might be the only reason his family was dead. Either way, Itachi wanted to see it, wanted to see it like nothing else, but Sasuke had no idea why. A technique so terrifying that merely using it a single time would rend the very mind from the user. A technique so powerful, it made the Magna Sharingan pale in comparison. The ultimate, and breathtakingly rare, incarnation of the potent Uchiha Bloodline Limit.

The Shijuukaigan Sharingan.

So dangerous was it to the user, Sasuke remembered as he neared the central offices, that it had been sealed up for generations. The last person who had used it, his great grandfather, had used it once, and spent the rest of his life in a state of gibbering insanity. The man's brother had sealed up the technique, and instructed his heirs that they were only to break the seal and attempt the technique if there was simply no other alternative to the clan's extinction. If Orochimaru's curse seal was truly gone, Sasuke decided, it could well be time to break the ancient seal. Even more so if he missed his opportunity to become a jounin, he grimaced. Especially if what he suspected was true.

Then he was at the offices, and dashing through the front door. He whipped around corners and down hallways, making his way to the room where he knew that he would have to meet with Tsunade. Rounding the last corner, he skidded to a stop as he saw Naruto and Sakura leaning against the wall across from the meeting room, conversing quietly. His sudden appearance had caught their attention, and he tried to look calm and composed as he walked down the hall to join them.

"Did I miss it?" he asked, unable to contain his worry.

"Naw," Naruto said, looking away and at the door. "They decided to do the chuunin graduation before us at the last minute. Apparently everybody forgot how much of a longwinded old geezer the Mizukage is."

"We've been waiting for ya," Sakura sniped. Sasuke spared a quick glance to confirm that her eyes were blue, then sighed internally. One Naruto was bad enough, but when Sakura let her inner self out with that useless Jinkaku Kokan, she could be even worse. Sasuke didn't even want to speculate at what the two might be like together.

"What, no scarf today, pretty boy?" Sakura asked, grinning. Sasuke's hand went to his neck to check; indeed, he'd forgotten it. /In fact,/ he realized, looking down at his right hand, /I didn't even bother to put on my forehead protector./ He lifted the light piece of armor and tied it securely on his forehead.

"What's that?" Naruto asked, pointing at Sasuke's neck.

"Huh?" the taller boy asked, confused for a minute.

"On your neck and face," Naruto clarified, his brow wrinkling. "It almost looks like a tattoo."

"Ooh, tattoos on Sasuke," Sakura cooed teasingly. "Lemme see." As fate or, more likely, Tsunade's lack of patience would have it, the door across the hall slid open, issuing forth a stream of young ninjas. Among them, Konohamaru was being patted on the back and herded forward, a look of shock on his face. The boy's shock only intensified when he saw Naruto.

"Naruto-niichan…" he said, coming to a stop. His eyes were as big around as saucers, and seemed to be almost brimming with tears.

"Didja make it?" Naruto asked, a big smile on his face, Sasuke's 'tattoo' completely forgotten. Konohamaru just looked at Naruto for a minute, then nodded slowly. Sakura, on the other hand, was poking around Sasuke's collar, trying to see more of his tattoo, much to Sasuke's dismay. "Congratulations!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing the smaller youth by his shoulders. "Now, don't think that you can boss me around just cuz you're higher in rank than I am," Naruto teased, clearly happy for his friend.

"But Naruto-niichan, they still haven't promoted you," Konohamaru protested weakly.

"Aww, don't worry about it!" Naruto grinned, feigning cheerfulness at a much higher level than he actually felt. "I know that they're never gonna promote me anyway. Stop worrying about it." Konohamaru looked up at his idol for a minute, then engulfed Naruto in an embrace.

"Naruto-niichan, you're so cool!" he said, his words muffled by Naruto's chest.

"Hey, hey," Naruto said while he patted his friend's back. "I gotta go see Tsunade. You go celebrate with your family; I'll take you out for ramen or something later, okay?"

"All right!" Konohamaru celebrated. After close association with Naruto for so long, he had come to love ramen almost as much as Naruto. "I'll see you later!" Konohamaru waved, running to catch up to his companions. "You owe me ramen!" Naruto just laughed in reply.

"Let's go already," Sasuke said impatiently, pulling away from Sakura's rather invasive examination. He then immediately slipped through the door that the examinees had just exited through. The pink-haired girl pouted for a moment, then walked over to Naruto and looped her arm through his. Naruto, already rather emotional from Konohamaru's promotion, blushed as Sakura pulled him inside.

Standing in the middle of the room, side-by-side, were Tsunade and the Mizukage. They were conversing quietly as the trio entered, and stopped as they drew near. Tsunade's surprise was apparent on her face when she saw Naruto. Naruto wasn't quite sure weather she was more surprised at his presence or Sakura's familiarity with him; Tsunade knew well of Naruto's crush on the pink-haired girl. Sasuke was standing before the two already, executing a formal bow. Naruto couldn't remember the last time Sasuke had acted in such a manner. For that matter, neither could Sasuke. Regardless, Sakura and Naruto separated and joined Sasuke in forming a little line across from the two Kages.

"You three are here to apply for the jounin exam, I presume?" Tsunade asked, still appearing surprised. Naruto decided that she was surprised to see him in this context, and hadn't thought too much on Sakura's actions.

"We are," Sakura answered in a much more subdued tone than she'd had a few moments ago. A quick glance confirmed that her eyes were green again; Sakura-chan had released the jutsu.

"With a genin?" the Mizukage interjected, his expression unreadable beneath his wide-brimmed hat. "Most unusual. Especially considering his… talents," the old man continued. Tsunade cast a stony look on the blue and white-robed man, who then fell silent.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, Sakura. We need to talk to Naruto alone for a minute," Tsunade said in a rather politically neutral tone. Sakura left without protest; Sasuke only gave a sigh before following her. As the door slid shut behind them, Naruto's gut began to wrench with nervousness. This was exactly what eh had though would happen.

"I didn't expect to see you here today, Naruto," Tsunade began, relaxing a bit. "At least not applying for the jounin exams."

"I'm sorry for the trouble," Naruto began, one hand nervously finding its way behind his head.

"Why are you here?" the Mizukage asked bluntly. Naruto started, surprised. He had been in audience with the Mizukage three times before, during his previous chuunin exams. The old man was never this blunt or direct. "Are you looking to lose your life here? It's very much a possibility in an examination of this level."

"No, that's not it at all," Naruto retreated from the accusation, waving one hand at the elder man.

"So you're just looking to fight, to kill, then?" the Mizukage accused. "My own jounin will be proctors in this examination. I cannot afford to lose them over the frivolous whims of a demon-child."

"Hey!" Naruto shouted jumping to his own defense. "I'm not a demon, damnit! Just cuz I got stuck playing landlord to his prison doesn't make me the same at that… that thing!"

"Is that so?" the Mizukage asked, his tone showing his amusement and disbelief.

"Naruto, why are you here?" Tsunade asked, putting one hand on the Mizukage's shoulder. Her tone was calm, but hard. "I am curious to know myself."

"Because Sakura-san asked me to," Naruto replied quickly. "I know damn well that genin aren't allowed to take the jounin exam, even if they don't!" Naruto continued, his voice rising. He gestured at the door as he spoke for emphasis. "Sakura-san needed my help. Without me at least showing up and standing next to her, she wouldn't have even gotten the chance to try." Naruto calmed down after that sentence, taking in a deep breath and letting it out before he continued. "It's just like my match with Konohamaru yesterday," he explained. "I wasn't even gonna take the chuunin exam this year, but then Konohamaru wanted to give it a go. I spent the whole damn thing doin' my best to make him look good. I knew that I wouldn't get passed, no matter what," the blond-haired boy elaborated, then pointed at the Mizukage. "'Cuz guys like him are scared of me. They think that if I knew upper-level techniques, that I'd come after them one by one or something. They think I'm just that damn fox in another body," he said, looking away and sighing.

"I don't really care about rank any more. It'd be nice, but, you know?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders, looking up. "All I ever wanted was acknowledgement. For people to know that I exist, and to care about it. It took me a long time to realize, but I've got it already," Naruto explained. "Sakura-san, Konohamaru, Lee, Shikamaru… hell, even Neji," He continued, a wan smile crossing his face. "They know I'm good. They've helped me out over the last four years, and I've helped them. We're friends, though, and that's what matters. I watch out for my friends, no matter what."

"And when a friend asks you for a favor," Naruto said, finally meeting the Mizukage's gaze. "You do whatever you can to help them. I know that you're gonna reject me, and I really don't care. I'm just here to make Sakura-san eligible."

"And Sasuke?" Tsunade asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Sasuke? Well, I may not like him, and I know he don't like me, but he's saved my ass more than once before. I've done the same for him, too, I guess," Naruto reasoned, shrugging. "But if he needed me, I'd be there next to him. I guess I am," he finished sheepishly, his left hand going once more to scratch the back of his head. Tsunade looked over at the Mizukage, who nodded slowly. She then walked over to the door, opened it, and stepped away after telling Sasuke and Sakura that they could re-enter the room. The two chuunin filed in and took up positions on either side of Naruto.

Sakura, standing next to the paper-thin doorway, had heard everything, and was rather confused, but she kept her expression neutral. If he had heard anything, Sasuke wasn't giving anything away by his expression either. Tsunade followed the two over and took her position next to the Mizukage.

"As you may or may not know," she began formally, "it is strictly against the law to allow a genin, regardless of his or her skill level, to take the jounin exam." Naruto's shoulders sagged a bit, but he did his best to keep his expression as neutral as Sasuke and Sakura managed to. "There are many reasons for this, but I don't think that I need to get into them."

"Naruto," Tsunade said suddenly. The blond-haired boy looked up and met her gaze, standing at strict attention. "For your performance in this and past chuunin exams, and for the dedication to your friends that you have shown so aptly in recent times, I, with the approval of the Mizukage, am awarding you with the chuunin rank. Will you accept this responsibility?" the fifth Hokage asked, a smile on her face. Sasuke's mask of emotionlessness dissolved into one of pure shock, and Sakura's hands flew to her face in surprise.

"Y-yeah," Naruto replied, shocked. He couldn't believe that this was happening.

"In that case, since each of the three of you have completed the requisite twenty B-rank missions, I accept your collective application to participate in the jounin exams," Tsunade stated, her smile still on her face.

"Yes!" Sakura exclaimed, wrapping the shocked Naruto in an embrace, one that she would back out of in a few moments with a blush after realizing just who she was embracing. Tsunade and the Mizukage made their way out of the room.

"You… you planned this!" Naruto managed after a moment, just before Tsunade left the room. The Hokage stopped and turned to face the youth, still smiling.

"Congratulations," she said simply, then left. Naruto let out a short laugh, then another, and soon had dissolved in to fits of amusement. The only person in the room that didn't share in the celebrations was Sasuke, who was still in shock over Naruto's promotion.

"No… way…" he said to himself, then shook his head. He had to talk to Tsunade about the seal.

"I'll see you later," he said quietly as he left the room in pursuit of the woman that he needed to examine him. Naruto and Sakura didn't even notice.

*** Author's Notes ***

Whee! Another chapter finished, and quite the foreshadowy one, if I do say so myself. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it. I know that my post is early… because it HAD to be. You see, I leave for Spring Break in about… four hours, so I just had to slam this one out and post it early. Needless to say, the next chapter will probably be late, due to the fact that I will be away from my computer for the next week or so.

Well, if you liked it, please tell me. If you didn't, PLEASE tell me. Feedback is the only way that I will change, guys, and I mean it. I welcome flames, if you wanna send em, because they're valid opinions. 'It takes flames to temper steel,' as I always say. Your feedback directly influences how soon the next chapter is posted, and I mean it! Thank you!

~Flash ()

P.S.: Thermopyle, I'm sorry that I didn't let ya preread this one, but I just plain ran out of time.

Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Gotta Knock a Little Higher," The Seatbelts (Cowboy Bebop OST). I just though that this one fits the mood for the chapter. No links; go out and buy this one!

***NEW*** Character themes: That's right! I will be supplying new character theme music on a chapter-to-chapter basis. For this one, I'll give you Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura's themes. I'll include at least one more per chapter.

Sasuke: "The Final Summoning," by Jared Hudson. This is a Final Fantasy X remix, and is VERY good. Pick it up for free at the Overclocked Remix (.org).

Naruto: "Believe," from the Gundam Seed soundtrack. I dunno what it is about this song; it just seems to fit our favorite hyperactive ninja. Sorry, but no link for ya here.

Outer Sakura: The fourth ending song from Inu Yasha. If you know what it's called, please tell me so that I can fix this. I got the song from one of my buddies, and he doesn't know himself.

Inner Sakura: "COSMIC DARE (Pretty With a Pistol)," The Seatbelts (Cowboy Bebop OST). I've just noticed how much bebop music I recommend. Oh, well. This is Sakura-chan's song, and she'd listen to it nonstop, given the option.

Translations:

-niichan: This suffix is added to a name when the person whose name preceeds it is considered to be a brother to the speaker, either by birth or by familiarity. Konohamaru uses this one a LOT.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Four: Omen

Sasuke slipped out of the room in which Naruto and Sakura were still celebrating and glanced down the hallway to his right, then to his left. Seeing Tsunade walking slowly down the hall, conversing with the Mizukage in quiet tones, he nodded and set out after them. He had soon caught up with the slow-moving pair. A smile spread across his face as Sasuke realized that there wasn't so much a conversation as there was a story being told- by the notoriously long-winded Mizukage. Tsunade was smiling, and nodding at the appropriate places, but it was fairly obvious to Sasuke that she was simply humoring the old man. As he approached, he did his best to swallow his annoyance at Naruto's promotion. He was about to ask the Hokage a favor, and if he let his discontent at the promotion of her 'pet' ninja slip, he knew she wouldn't do a thing for him.

"… So then, just when I thought I had him, it turned out that the bastard had just sent another Mizu Bunshin after me," the blue-robed man rambled on. Sasuke decided that this presented an appropriate time for him to interject into their conversation.

"Hokage-sama," he said simply, bowing a bit for decorum's sake in front of the foreign dignitary. Both Tsunade and the Mizukage turned to face the black-haired boy.

"Ah, Sasuke," Tsunade addressed him, relief showing on her face. Sasuke could only estimate as to her gratefulness at being rescued from another of the Mizukage's stories. "Mizukage-sama, this is Uchiha Sasuke, sole survivor of the Uchiha clan," she said to the Mizukage. The blue-robed man nodded his head a bit, allowing Sasuke to come out of his bow.

"I've heard of you," the Mizukage said, nodding after a moment. "Yes, you were on the team that killed the rogue shinobi Momochi Zabuza. Ironically, that's just what I was talking about," he continued enthusiastically, having found a segue back into his story.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I need to see Hokage-sama in private," Sasuke said with another little bow. Tsunade's smile seemed to settle into an expression of relief.

With a nod to the Mizukage, she said, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that duty calls." The blue-robed man sighed, then returned the nod.

"I suppose that I should prepare my entourage for departure," he admitted. "As always, it has been a pleasure." To Sasuke he said, "It was nice to meet you, Sasuke. I wish you luck on the Jounin exam." Tsunade looked sideways at the door to another uninhabited room, and Sasuke moved to get the door for her.

"Thank you, sir," he said as he moved towards the door, trying to seem, at least, politically appropriate. Though the Water and Fire countries were not enemies, they were not allies either; prudence was dictated in this situation, and even Sasuke knew not to offend such an important foreign dignitary.

"Have a safe return journey," Tsunade wished him, then ducked through the waiting doorway. Sasuke followed her and slid the door shut quietly behind him. Tsunade leaned up against the far wall and breathed a great sigh, presumably of relief. She held a finger in front of her mouth for a few minutes, as they waited for the Mizukage to pass out of hearing range.

"Damn, thanks for saving me there," Tsunade finally said, dropping her finger.

"You won't be thanking me after I show you this Hokage-sama," Sasuke said, unzipping his jacket. "Something happened to the seal last night."

"What?" Tsunade exclaimed, her attention secured. Sasuke just shook his head and turned around, dropping his jacket to the floor. The Hokage approached to get a better look, but she didn't need to. It was apparent from across the room that most of the protective seals were gone.

Tsunade's eyes widened slightly, but before she could say anything, Sasuke said, "The curse seal looks like it's gone too. I'm not sure, though." Tsunade pushed the left strap of Sasuke's undershirt off of his shoulder and examined the area where the curse seal had, for such a long time, adorned his body. Slowly, and with a little pressure, she ran her fingers over the area.

"What the hell?" she asked to herself, pushing a bit harder. Sasuke put his left foot a bit forward, to steady himself against the pressure that Tsunade was now applying.

"This is going to hurt a bit," Tsunade warned him, and Sasuke braced himself. He felt her molding chakra and spreading it out on his skin. Then it pressed into the area where the curse seal had been. It felt to Sasuke like a burning needle was forcing itself into him, burrowing its way into his rib cage from behind. He bore the pain with a grunt. Then the pain was gone, and Tsunade backed away a bit. Sasuke took the opportunity to pull the arm of his sleeveless t-shirt back into place, and pick his jacket up from the floor.

"Well," she said after a moment. "It's gone, all right. If it had been there, my chakra would have activated it." Tsunade stood in place for another long minute as Sasuke zipped his jacket up and pulled it forward, so that the overly large neck was to the front. "I just have no idea why the thing's gone," Tsunade finally said, shaking her head.

"It wasn't Jiraiya's seal?" Sasuke asked, his thoughts racing. /If it wasn't that pervert's seal, then what could have…?/ the raven-haired boy wondered.

"No. It didn't have that kind of power," Tsunade denied, biting her lower lip. "Orochimaru was the only one of us that was that good with seals…" she trailed off, looking at Sasuke. After a moment she continued, "You know, the seal would probably dissipate if Orochimaru were dead. That's the only thing I can think of."

"And who would have that kind of strength?" Sasuke asked, somewhat worriedly. Tsunade shook her head and shrugged in response.

"I have no idea. It might not even be that. Maybe he got tired of supporting the thing. With Orochimaru's skill in seals, anything is possible," Tsunade admitted in a defeated tone. "If he is dead, it might have been as simple a thing as someone sneaking into his room and slitting his throat while he was sleeping. Considering the timeframe, it's a possibility," she continued with a shrug.

"No way," Sasuke denied, stepping forward. The sound of a hard sandal striking against a wooden floor echoed in the room for a moment. "Orochimaru's too smart for that."

"Well, we have no way of knowing," Tsunade said with another shrug. She pulled a chair from the side of the room and sat down on it with a soft sigh. "Ever since I got here, Orochimaru's been almost impossible to track. Each and every spy we've sent after him has been killed. So, to be frank, any possibility is just as good as any other." As Sasuke was about to start refuting her again, she continued, "It might not have anything to do with Orochimaru at all. It's possible that your body has just become so attuned to the seal that it absorbed it. All that we know for sure," the Hokage paused, allowing that statement to settle in, "Is that the seal is gone."

Sasuke deflated, looking down and to the left. After a few minutes, he turned and walked out of the room, quietly opening and closing the sliding door as he passed. The boy looked up after he left, thinking about the implications of all that Tsunade had said.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's voice startled him out of his reverie. Sasuke turned to his right to meet Sakura's gaze, quickly replacing his mask of indifference.

"What is it?" he asked casually. Sasuke didn't see Naruto anywhere, which pleased him somewhat. The raven-haired boy had no desire to see Naruto at the moment.

"Well, I just thought that we should get together later today and train a little, just so that we know each others' strengths and weaknesses," Sakura explained, smiling softly. Sasuke could tell that she was still coming down from Naruto's shared euphoria.

"Whatever," he replied, really not too interested in training with either of the two. "Where and when?" he asked simply.

"Umm, at two," Sakura began, rather put off by Sasuke's greater-than-usual level of dismissiveness. "We're going to meet in front of the memorial. You remember where it is?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, turning to leave. "See you there," he called over his shoulder, half-waving back at her, only the first two fingers on his hand raised.. His thoughts turned again to all the possibilities involved in the disappearance of the curse seal. He didn't even notice Sakura's faint "See ya" as he walked out the front door of the offices.

/If my body just absorbed it,/ he wondered to himself, looking up at the bright sun. /Then why would it take four of the containment seals with it?/

* * * * * *

Naruto felt like he was walking on air as he hopped from building to building. The almost-midday sun beat down on his back, and he welcomed the warmth. /Chuunin,/ the blond-haired boy thought excitedly. /I never thought that they'd let me be a chuunin./

His wallet felt unusually fat in his pocket; Naruto had just collected his weekly pay. Waiting for him, almost as if Tsunade had anticipated his advancement, was an envelope labeled simply 'back pay.' Inside, along with his normal paycheck, was enough cash to pay his rent for six months. A short note that he'd discovered inside revealed that Tsunade was paying the difference between his former genin level and his now-proper chuunin level for all the B rank missions that he'd managed to complete thus far. The sudden windfall surprised Naruto, but he had skipped meals far too often in his lifetime to turn town free money when it was offered to him.

Naruto happened to glance downwards at just the right moment to see the Ichiraku ramen bar pass underneath him. He caught himself in the next rooftop and looked back at the restaurant, fingering his fattened wallet. Finally, Naruto grinned. /If I can't celebrate today, then when can I?/ he thought to himself, sliding down the side of the building, his left hand holding him to the side via a water pipe. Just as he was about to enter, Naruto pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet, then burst through the cloth-draped entrance to his favorite restaurant.

"Gimme one extra-large miso ramen with everything!" he said to the cook, slamming down his wad of money. The cook looked at the money, then up at Naruto questioningly. "I just made chuunin," Naruto explained cheerfully, sitting down.

"WHAT?!" a surprised voice roared from a few stools to Naruto's right. In his hurry, Naruto hadn't bothered to check and see who else was in the ramen bar. Those villagers that still loathed him avoided the Ichiraku like the plague, and those that came knew enough not to start any trouble with the restaurant's best customer. As such, Naruto never really had any reason to check and see who else was in the establishment.

"Konohamaru?" Naruto managed to utter before the smaller boy engulfed him in a full-body bear hug. The momentum that Konohamaru had amassed in his leap knocked them both off of Naruto's stool and onto the ground.

"They didn't say that you'd passed," Konohamaru said, his voice a little shaky, as if he were holding back tears. The younger boy burrowed his head into Naruto's chest as he spoke, not letting up on the bear hug at all. "I only wanted to be chuunin because you did too. I was so sad when you didn't make it and I did," Konohamaru continued, his voice becoming less emotional.

"Well, I made it," Naruto grinned, patting Konohamaru's head. "Now, can we get up? I'm starving," he requested sheepishly. Konohamaru pushed himself off of Naruto's prone form, then offered a hand to help Naruto rise as well. Naruto accepted it, and brushed himself off. "I missed breakfast this morning," he said by way of explanation, both to the cook, who was more than a bit busy with Naruto's order, and to Konohamaru, who had pulled his own bowl over so that he could sit next to his idol. Naruto sat himself back on his stool, then examined the wad of money he'd left on the counter.

"Your tab's paid off," the cook explained as Naruto counted his somewhat-reduced wad of cash. The man had been more than patient in waiting for Naruto to pay off the debt he had manage to incur over the past few years of eating, with the occasional unpaid meal. The total had become quite substantial, almost a full week's worth of pay for Naruto, and had resulted in his temporary banishment from the ramen bar.

"You didn't take enough," Naruto said, shaking his head as he tacked on the cost of a super-deluxe miso ramen to his until-then existing tab.

"Don't worry about it," the cook said, waving a hand in Naruto's direction. "Now that you're paid up, I can afford to treat you to a meal on the house, to congratulate you on your promotion."

"Thanks," Naruto grinned, leaning back and pulling in a deep breath, then letting it out. "I love the smell of this place almost as much as the food, you know," he said to Konohamaru, who was in the middle of sucking up a string of noodles. The younger boy nodded in response, the action causing the tail end of his noodles to swing up and whip him in the nose. Naruto laughed, and Konohamaru joined him once he'd swallowed his noodles.

"Now, tell me if I'm wrong," a deeper voice interjected into the conversation. "But I thought I just heard that the infamous Uzumaki Naruto just made chuunin." Naruto spun around on his stool, and was only partly surprised to see an old friend standing behind him.

"Hey, Lee!" he exclaimed. Naruto hadn't seen the green-garbed ninja in months; Lee had, apparently, taken off to go on an extended training trip with Gai. "Have a seat, both Konohamaru and I got promoted. We're celebrating!" Naruto explained, swatting the seat next to him. Lee grinned and moved to sit down with an easy grace that belied his size.

And size he had. Naruto was again impressed by the sheer stature of his black-haired friend. When he stood up straight, Lee was well over six feet tall; the tallest person in Konoha by a significant margin. Moreover, the man was well built. Lee had never stopped training, and it had paid off dramatically. Rippling muscles covered his body from head to toe. He had the kind of physique that most girls could only dream about, and the fact was well known. To nobody's greater surprise than his own, Lee found himself to be the object of many a young woman's affections, despite the fact that his eyes still bore the same unnerving level of focus and determination that so many people had found initially disconcerting. He still wore the same style of simple, green jumpsuit that he had taken to wearing while under Gai's tutelage, except that he now wore his chuunin vest over it with pride.

"One beef ramen!" Lee ordered as he sat down next to the two. He fell into an easy conversation with Naruto, one which Konohamaru joined in after allowing the two to catch up. When Naruto and Lee's food came, the conversation slowed for a little while as the two proceeded to devour their respective lunches. Konohamaru kept the flow of the conversation going until Lee finished his meal and was able to rejoin fully. Naruto took a while longer to catch up, since his bowl, when it had come, had been veritably overflowing with delicacies. He had savored each and every bite; the last time he'd eaten something this extravagant was on the night before his first attempt at the chuunin exam finals.

After finishing lunch, the three youths sat on their stools at the Ichiraku ramen bar and joked and laughed boisterously. The lunch rush came and went, but the boys didn't notice. Eventually, Naruto happened to glance upwards at the wall clock; it read 1:19 in the afternoon.

"Well, guys," he said, one hand over his stomach. "I've gotta meet Sakura and Sasuke. I'll see you later," Naruto grinned, pushing himself off his stool and onto his legs.

"Do you have to go right now?" Konohamaru asked, looking disappointed. Naruto nodded his head, thinking, /Sakura wanted to meet a 2:00. I gotta deal with Kyuubi before then./

"Yep," Naruto said, shrugging a bit. Then, he remembered something that he'd been meaning to try. "Hey, Konohamaru, I wanna try something out later. I'll give ya a call, okay?"

"Sure, Naruto-niichan," Konohamaru replied, his disappointment evaporating.

"Smack that smug bastard once for me," Lee joked, flashing the blindingly white grin that he'd learned from Gai. It was clear from his personal feelings, which he had never made any effort to hide, that he meant Sasuke.

"I just might," Naruto returned, leaving. "See ya!"

"Did you hear that Naruto-niichan's making a run at the jounin exams?" Naruto heard Konohamaru say just before he passed out of earshot. At that point, he leapt upwards to land on someone's porch, then again and again until he was hopping from rooftop to rooftop.

/Damn, I've put this off for too long,/ Naruto thought with a grimace. His stomach twitched; it was almost enough to trip him up, but he caught himself before he had to land on the next rooftop. /I wish that the Fourth had actually put some long-term thought into this damn seal. If he had, I might not be in this situation./ Soon, Naruto had moved beyond the residential zone of the village, and was forced to continue on foot. /Damn fool forgot that as a person grows, so does his ability to generate chakra. The overflow system his seal's got was fine for me when I was a kid, but now Kyuubi's generating more chakra, through me, than the seal can keep up with./

/It's no big deal, I guess,/ Naruto admitted to himself as he moved into the forested area that surrounded the shinobi memorial. /I just hate having to call on that damn thing./ Finally, he burst into the clearing around the stone monument. A quick glance around confirmed that he was alone; this fact brought a small smile to Naruto's face. He didn't like to be around anyone when he called on Kyuubi; if he did, he ran the risk of hurting them. Naruto made his way over to the monument and sat down, his back to the engraved side. He pulled his legs in and crossed them, then folded his hands in his lap. With a deep breath and a slight increase in the volume of his music player, he closed his eyes and did what he knew he had to do.

/Hey, Fox-shit. It must be getting crowded in there with all that extra chakra you've got. Give it up,/ he demanded mentally of the nine-tails demon fox, nestled quietly in his navel. As always, whenever he did this, Kyuubi was slow to respond. Both of them knew that if Kyuubi kept building up chakra, he might be able to burst through the protection that the seal gave both Naruto and everyone else. Eventually, though, as always, the chakra came. Naruto was careful to keep his own chakra suppressed, and unmixed with this new, red batch. A faint red aura began to pulse around the blond-haired boy.

Naruto couldn't help but grin. He loved the feeling of tingling power that Kyuubi's chakra gave him, even though he hated the fox itself with a passion. Slowly, he began to exhale, even as he concentrated the flow of Kyuubi's chakra into his mouth. Without performing any hand seals or making any attempt to mold the chakra, a little jet of flame spurted out of his slightly pursed lips. Some might call it an impressive show of chakra control, but Naruto knew better. Even now, he had to use up much more chakra than most other people needed to to perform a jutsu of any kind. This was simply a parlor trick, but one that was useful to him.

The little tongue of flame that Naruto was breathing out was simply ignited chakra; by concentrating chakra into his breath to a certain point, Naruto had discovered that he could cause it to ignite, burning up the chakra in the process. It was grossly inefficient, and had no practical use inside or outside of battle, except to use up a lot of chakra in a short amount of time. Slowly, the feeling of over fullness in Naruto's belly diminished. When he had expelled his breath fully, he drew in another breath and exhaled slowly, the little tongue of flame leaping from his lips again.

To his right, Naruto hear what sounded like, to him, at least, a derisive snort. He paused in his exhalation and cracked an eye to attempt to locate the source of the sound. It didn't take long; almost immediately, Naruto saw Sasuke leaning against one of the trees surrounding the clearing. Naruto closed his eye and released his remaining breath in a single puff, which made a little fireball. Then, he opened his eyes and pushed himself to his feet.

"Still relying on that demon for your strength, fox-boy?" Sasuke asked Naruto, his voice betraying the derision that the raven-haired boy felt towards Naruto.

"Shut the hell up, Sasuke. You've got no idea what it's like to have to live with this thing every day," Naruto shot back, his arrogance matching Sasuke's derision. "Besides," Naruto continued after a moment, a wicked grin crossing his face. "The only reason that you think that the Kyuubi's an unfair advantage is because you can't have it!" the smaller youth accused him. Sasuke's eyes widened a bit, and he pushed himself away from the tree. Before he could say anything, Naruto continued, "The damn fox is no different than your Sharingan. It's just an advantage, one that only I can use. Quit whining about it already!"

"Take that back," Sasuke demanded, his eyes cold. He kept a careful control on his anger; he couldn't believe that Naruto was implying not only that he was stronger, but that Sasuke needed something of the fox-boy's to keep up

"Hell no!" Naruto said, shaking his head. "You're a fuckin' hypocrite, you know that? Nobody's allowed to use a shortcut if they aren't you!"

"Shut up," Sasuke demanded again, his body literally shaking with rage. Barely inside the too-long arms of his jacket, his hands balled up into fists. The accusation of hypocrisy had almost sent him over the edge.

"No way!" Naruto returned, his anger brimming to the surface. "I say what I mean, and I don't take my words back. You need to grow the hell up, Sasuke."

"Shut up!" Sasuke roared, charging forward, his right fist cocked. Naruto, not in a fighting stance, didn't have enough time to react, and took Sasuke's punch to the face. He stumbled back a few steps, then raised his left hand to rub his cheek.

"Is that the best you can do?" Naruto taunted, grinning, as he slid into a defensive fighting stance. Sasuke responded with a growl, then broke right. /Shit!/ Naruto thought frantically as Sasuke raced around to flank him. /He's moving faster than Kakashi-sensei even!/ Naruto dove forward just in time to avoid another punch to the head, this one leveled at him from his right side. As he rolled to his feet, Naruto thought, /The scary part about that was that he went all the way around behind me before taking his swing./

"Gonna call up that fox?" Sasuke taunted, having skidded to a stop. "You know that you can't even touch me without it."

"Not on your life," Naruto returned, forming the hand seals for his favorite jutsu. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" The clearing was suddenly filled, from end to end, with Kage Bunshin clones of Naruto. Sasuke had a mere two feet on any side of him before the wall of bodies hemmed him in.

"That was just using my own chakra," almost a thousand Narutos taunted the dark-eyed boy. "And I've got plenty left to take you down with," the real Naruto finished alone, surrounded by his clones.

"We'll see about that," Sasuke returned, quickly forming a series of hand seals of his own. As he finished, his hands crackled with blue chakra and dancing electricity. "Raimei Genkotsu no Jutsu!" he declared, then blurred into motion again. Naruto cursed, and his clones responded by rushing forward, kunai drawn. Sasuke was forced onto the defensive, and was slowed somewhat by the press of bodies on all sides, but he danced around the clones' attacks gracefully, if not easily. As often as he could manage, he would press a finger or two onto a clone's body. Electricity would dance from his fingertips up the body of the clone, which would then explode into a puff on ninja smoke. After a few moments of this, to no real effect, Naruto called off his clones. Depleted significantly, they glared at Sasuke from around the clearing. Sasuke himself was standing in a defensive stance, his hands still crackling with energy. The raven-haired boy wore a great smirk.

"You know," Naruto said after a bit of a lull, "The funny thing about the Kage Bunshin is that the clones are always the exact same strength. The only thing that putting more chakra into the technique does is make more clones." Naruto stared hard at Sasuke, a smirk spreading across his own face. Suddenly, all of the clones in the clearing exploded into ninja smoke, leaving the two boys alone again. "Which is why I fixed it," Naruto finished, his smirk blossoming into a full-blown smile. He put the first two fingers of his hands together again, forming the hand seal for the Kage Bunshin, save for one thing; his fingers were interlaced.

"Honshitsu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and two explosions of ninja smoke behind him signaled the completion of the technique. One clone stepped from behind Naruto and to his left; another stepped to his right. The one on his left reached down and turned up the volume on his digital music player.

"Ready, boss?" the one on his right asked, grinning confidently.

"Go!" Naruto ordered, charging forward. The clones on the left and right of him broke in their respective directions, racing around to flank Sasuke.

/Damn,/ Sasuke thought, keeping an eye on the clones that were flanking him. /These are a lot faster than his Kage Bunshin clones. Doesn't matter, though,/ he grinned, his confidence showing itself. /One touch of my Raimei Genkotsu and they're gone./

Then Naruto was there, and Sasuke was pressured into trading blows with the shorter youth, who was attacking with a speed that was, frankly, surprising to Sasuke. He had never seen Naruto move with this kind of speed before. Sasuke was still faster, but he knew that once the clones closed in on him in a few seconds, he'd be very badly overmatched if he didn't do something quickly. Sasuke took a precious second trading blows with Naruto, to no real effect, since the raven-haired boy was still on the defensive.

Sasuke took a risk, and threw his own defense to the winds as he launched a furious counterassault against Naruto. They traded blows at the same moment, Naruto landing a heavy punch to Sasuke's gut, while Sasuke connected firmly with Naruto's right shoulder. The sheer force of Naruto's blow knocked Sasuke back; the blond-haired boy was strong, now, as well as being possessed of an almost inhuman amount of stamina. Naruto, after being struck with the Raimei Genkotsu, was forced to take a half a step back with a yelp of pain.

"Enjoy the electrical burns," Sasuke taunted, regaining his breath. Then the clones were on him, and he was completely on the defensive, struggling to keep the surprisingly fast replicas from striking him.

The real Naruto looked down at his jacket, saw the burnt and blackened circle outlining where Sasuke had struck him, and exclaimed, "You jackass! You just ruined my jacket! Do you have any idea how much these things cost?" The blond-haired boy charged into the fray once more just as Sasuke landed a punch on the clone on his left. Electricity crackled over the clone's body, and it fell back. Naruto took the opportunity to punch Sasuke hard in the face. The dark-haired boy stumbled back before tipping over, his nose bleeding profusely from where Naruto had glancingly hit it. Sasuke knew better than to stay down, and pushed himself to his feet as quickly as he could. The whole right side of his face, where Naruto had struck him, was swelling up, and he did his best to keep his right eye from swelling shut.

/Damn, he hits hard,/ Sasuke thought, shaking his head to clear it. When he again focused on Naruto, he thought that his vision had gone bad, because he saw three people advancing on him.

"I hit the clone!" he protested, falling back half a step.

"So?" the Naruto on Sasuke's left asked, his chest blackened from where Sasuke had struck him.

"They're different from shadow clones," the middle Naruto explained, grinning faintly. "Now, come on. You can do better than this, can't you? I haven't even broken a sweat yet."

"What?" Sasuke exclaimed, backing off a little more as the right Naruto got a feral look in his face and cracked his knuckles. Sasuke realized as he looked at the three that, aside from the electrical burns, the three looked fine; fresh even. Sasuke cursed inwardly; the stress of maintaining the Raimei Genkotsu for so long was beginning to wear on him, and if he hadn't even begun to tire out Naruto, things were going to get bad quickly. With a grimace, Sasuke allowed the Raimei Genkotsu to fade away, even as he closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment.

"Sharingan!" Sasuke shouted, his eyes flying open. Immediately, he knew that something was different; the chakra patterns that he saw surrounding Naruto and his clones were very different from the usual little balls of chakra that he usually saw while using the Sharingan. Now, he saw chakra faintly blanketing their bodies, twitching and moving as the muscles themselves did. The trees and plants that he saw behind them glowed with chakra as well, something that he'd never seen while using the Sharingan before. Suddenly, he understood.

/I've mastered the Sharingan!/ Sasuke exulted to himself, pulling himself to a full, standing battle stance. /It's just like Kakashi-sensei said; I can see Naruto's chakra as his body's cells produce it. I should be able to copy him as he molds his chakra too./

"Now you're done," Sasuke gloated, flashing his newly enhanced eyes at Naruto. "I've mastered the Sharingan. With my speed, I can do anything that you can, only faster. You might as well give up now, Dobe-kun." Even as he boasted, though, Sasuke's mind raced. He didn't understand how Naruto's new technique worked, but it was obvious that the clones could take at least some punishment. The raven-haired boy was confident that he could win any one-on-one fight with Naruto now, but a three-on-one still presented problems. /Damn,/ he thought to himself angrily. /I should've tried the Sharingan first. If I had, I'd have clones of my own to fight Naruto with now./ Even still, Sasuke could see the massive reserve of chakra that Naruto had not yet used; it wasn't tinted with Kyuubi's red taint in the least.

"Get over yourself, Sasuke," Naruto returned, shaking his head. As he did, the cords of his headphones whipped around in front of him. "Sure, you're fast, but it sure seems like that's all you've got. I mean, if this is the best that you can do, you've been slacking off ever since our last fight, except for speed, maybe."

"Bullshit," Sasuke replied, more confident than ever. At first, as he'd examined the clones, he'd been badly confused; they looked exactly like normal people. This was confusing to him, because the one advantage that the Sharingan had over the Byakugan was that it could detect clones with unerring accuracy. "And call off your two friends, Naruto. The Henge doesn't fool me any more. Who are they, Konohamaru and Sakura? Maybe Ino?"

"What?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"I've got your trick now, Naruto. Those two are just normal people using Henge to look like you," Sasuke replied, grinning, as he pointed to his left eye. "You can't fool the Sharingan, no matter what. Those are real people."

"I wish," said the Naruto on the right. The one on the left nodded its' agreement.

"Nope, wrong again. The trick of the Honshitsu Bunshin no Jutsu is that I actually replicate myself on a cellular level. The two of these guys," Naruto boasted, setting a hand on the shoulder of either of his clones. "Are, for all intents and purposes, real people. They even generate enough chakra to maintain their bodies without my help."

"That can't be!" Sasuke exclaimed, his eyes widening. Even as he did, he was able to see that the two Narutos on either side of the center one, were generating chakra at a slower-than normal rate… and in exact tandem with one another. "The amount of chakra that it would take to make even one of those things…" he trailed off, trying to find some way not to believe Naruto.

"Is enormous," Naruto finished with a grin and a nod. "And it is. I doubt that you even have the chakra resources to make one of these babies now, even if I let you copy the technique. Then again," he continued, his grin turning to a smirk, "Chakra generation is the one thing that I've always been better at than you, even without Kyuubi. So, are we gonna finish this, or what?" Naruto asked cockily, the three of him each sliding into a battle stance.

Sasuke looked at them, the Sharingan eating up his chakra reserves quickly. Mastered, it used much more chakra than it did when un-mastered; somewhere in the back of his mind his respect of Kakashi was raised a notch, for being able to maintain the damn thing for so long. After only a few minutes, he could feel the intense strain of maintaining it for any length of time. Slowly, Sasuke sunk to his knees, shaking his head. /As long as there's three of him, I'm not going to be able to beat him,/ Sasuke thought to himself. /And if he can make more, like he says…/

Sasuke hear a pair of explosions, and looked up to see that Naruto's clones had vanished. He let the Sharingan drain from his eyes as he looked up at Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's voice rang out across the field. Both boys turned to see Sakura running towards them. As she drew close enough to see Sasuke's swollen face and Naruto's relatively unscathed form, she dropped to her knees next to the raven-hared boy to examine him. Sasuke pulled away reflexively, but Sakura would have none of it; she caught Sasuke's head and examined the bruise more closely.

"Hi, Sakura-san," Naruto said sheepishly, blushing a bit.

"What were you thinking?" Sakura exploded, jumping to her feet. "You can't just go around picking fights with Sasuke-kun, you know," she lectured Naruto, who retreated before her.

"But I didn't!" Naruto protested, his hands raised as he did his best to look innocent.

"Well, you can't just beat him up like that, just because he isn't as strong as he used to be, relatively speaking. Especially since it's not his fault!" Sakura continued to ream Naruto, ignoring his protests.

"But my jacket," Naruto tried again to protest, his frustration building, but Sakura would still have none of it.

"So what? You've got half a dozen more just like it. It'd do you good to wear something else for once," she countered, her anger stoked again. She had, thus far, forced Naruto back a full five paces, and didn't look like she was going to let up any time soon.

"Fine!" Naruto exclaimed, his patience at an end. "I'm outta here. You can go play doctor with Sasuke- see if I give a rat's ass!" With that, he turned and leapt off into the forest, leaving the two alone in the clearing. Sakura returned to Sasuke's side and examined his injuries again. This time, he didn't protest.

"He can hit pretty hard," Sasuke began, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Not really," Sakura replied absentmindedly as she pulled a bottle of antiseptic and a small cotton ball from a pouch hanging from her belt in the back. "He's no stronger than Shikamaru or Neji, physically."

"What?" Sasuke asked, looking up. Sakura grabbed his head and turned it back so that she could work on his cheek. "You mean… they're all stronger than me?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"You didn't know?" Sakura asked, surprised. She let go of Sasuke's head and allowed him to look her in the eye. He shook his head slowly. "I thought you knew. I just thought that you didn't want to talk about it," Sakura rambled, thoroughly surprised. "I mean, I know that it's just because of the curse seal, but still…" she continued, then trailed off as Sasuke's head dropped again. He stared intently at the ground as Sakura continued to dab antiseptic on his cheek with her cotton ball. A long silence passed between them.

"I can catch up," Sasuke said suddenly, looking up slowly. "I can catch up, even surpass them all now. I just need you to help me with something," he said, looking deeply into Sakura's eyes.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, withering a bit under his intense gaze.

"Just help me," Sasuke said, grabbing her by her shoulders. "If you do…" he trailed off, looking for the right words. "If you do, I will make you a part of the Uchiha clan."

*** Author's Notes ***

Well, this one is late, I know, by a full week, but I've got a good excuse, honest! I've been away from my computer on Spring Break. Plus, I wanted to put some real time into this chapter; it's very important in my Big Plan. Anyway, I hope that I made up for the delay with this one- it comes in at a seam-bursting 8 pages, where I will usually truncate myself down to seven, no matter what.

Also, I now have three prereaders! I want to give a great big shout out to Thermopyle, SxStrngSamurai13, and Kepelus for helping me make the transition between 'good' and 'great.' Especially Thermopyle- you've been with me from the start, and you've always pushed me to do better when I thought I was doing quite well enough. Thanks, guys.

Also, I want to thank everybody who's taken the time to review me, on the FFML, on , and the one, lone guy out there that sent me something off of Rokudaime. Thank you SO much, guys; I'm writing this thing for you. If you enjoyed it, I wanna hear about it. If you didn't, I wanna hear about it even more! (And especially why, so that I can fix it.) Keep the feedback coming, guys- as some of you already know, what you say to me has a direct and immediate effect. (This is addressed at the guy on that said that I didn't need the thought/speech definitions at the beginning of my chapters any more. Kudos, and thanks!) Anyway, I remain, as always,

~Flash ()

Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"The Outer Space Machine," by Rellik. This is a fantastic remix of the final boss theme out of Sonic 3. I love it, and I think that you will too. Find it here: (/song_?song_id=944)

Character themes:

Rock Lee: "Viva Rock (Lee)," by Orange Range. You all know and love this as the ending theme for the third season of Naruto, with all the little Naruto chibis marching across the screen, right? Anyway, this seems so appropriate for our good friend, Mr. Lee. Download it at ().

Konohamaru: "Hot Stuff," by Stephen Malcom. This one's a remix of Lava Reef Zone, from Sonic and Knuckles. What can I say? Sonic is grooooving for me lately. Anyway, pick up this top-notch piece of aural satisfaction at the Overclocked Remix (.org).

New Moves: (In order of appearance)

Raimei Genkotsu no Jutsu- Thundering Fist Skill (Sasuke). This skill is a natural evolution of the slow, lumbering Chidori. The Raimei Genkotsu is, functionally, a miniature version of the Chidori that can be formed quickly and uses little chakra. One set of hand seals is sufficient for as many Raimei Genkotsu as the user wishes to use, or has chakra for. Each strike with a hand while using the Raimei Genkotsu causes, in addition to the normal impact damage from an unarmed physical strike, electrical burns and a sharp jolt to the nervous system, which causes a small convulsion in the target. This easy, cheap skill can be disastrous to anyone trying to perform or maintain a powerful jutsu, and is very useful in a straight fight as well.

Honshitsu Bunshin no Jutsu - Essence Clone Skill (Naruto). With this technique, Naruto can create up to five replicas of himself that are accurate, right down to the cellular level. As such, they generate enough chakra on their own that they can maintain their bodies without any assistance from Naruto. These clones are exact replicas of Naruto in terms of physical capabilities, unlike the Kage Bunshin. Furthermore, they are able to withstand any blow that Naruto himself could withstand; to force a clone to dissipate, one must do to it injuries sufficient to kill Naruto himself. Naruto can cancel the jutsu himself at any time. Also, thought the clones generate enough chakra to keep their own bodies stable independently of Naruto, they do not regenerate any chakra that they use on jutsus or lose in any other way.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Five: Revelations

The full moon shone down brightly on Sakura's mid-town home. It was late; well after midnight, but she was still up, waiting for Sasuke to deliver the items that she would need to help him. In the distance, she could hear the sounds of the market, its business unabated despite the hour. She yawned widely, not having expected Sasuke to take this long to deliver what he had promised. /I'm going to have to wait for tomorrow to start this thing,/ she thought sleepily, /so that I don't make any mistakes./

Then, there was a quiet tapping at her window, and Sakura rushed to open it. Sasuke was outside, holding onto a water pipe that ran vertically down to the first floor of her house with one hand and a small brown satchel with the other.

"Here. Thanks," he said simply, handing the bag to her. A slight smile alighted on his face, and Sakura could feel herself melt inside. Sasuke hadn't smiled in as long as she could remember, and the thought that she was the cause of his happiness was like ambrosia to the girl. Somewhere inside, Inner Sakura protested, but Sakura shoved her voice down to where she couldn't hear it any more.

"All right," Sakura sighed, before he left. "Copy the old scroll onto the new one exactly, changing only Uchiha Shinda to Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Akiko to Haruno Sakura. That's all of it, right?" Sakura asked, confirming the instructions that Sasuke had given her earlier. She shifted a bit, and could feel something slosh inside the bag.

Before she could ask about it though, Sasuke replied, "Yeah. Just make sure to use what's in the bag as your ink. Got it?" Sakura nodded once, and Sasuke smiled again, just as faintly as he had the first time. Then he was gone, hopping from rooftop to rooftop away from her house.

Sakura moved away from the window slowly, pulling the items that Sasuke had given her from the satchel. One scroll issued forth, cream-colored and edged in deep crimson. Another, exactly like it, soon followed it except that the cream-colored middle was yellowed and a bit cracked with age. She set them on her bedside stand. Following the scrolls was a bamboo calligraphy brush, which Sakura placed next to them. Again her hand dove into the bag, but this time it brushed against ice. She pulled back a bit, then put her hand back in, grabbing ahold of the plastic bag that kept the ice contained. When she pulled it out, she discovered that the bag was not small; it was almost as big as her head. There was a great deal of ice in it. Nestled inside the ice, barely visible, was a dark red bag. Sakura caught her breath as she realized what it was.

"Blood," she muttered, seeing the name 'Uchiha Sasuke' written in neat letters on the side. A chill ran down her spine; only the most powerful and dangerous jutsus required a blood sacrifice from their user, much less one of this magnitude. /A jutsu scroll written in blood,/ Sakura thought, trying to process the possibilities; she knew of none.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Sasuke-kun," she said worriedly, looking out the window.

* * * * * *

"All right, Konohamaru," Naruto shouted, his usual cocky enthusiasm easily apparent in his voice. "That's far enough." Now almost three hundred yards away from the orange-clad youth, Konohamaru stopped and turned to face Naruto. "Can you still hit me from that distance?" Naruto called, waving at the seemingly small ninja.

"I think so," Konohamaru called back, waving back at Naruto. "But why do I need to be so far away?" Naruto had to strain to hear that last piece; a bird had begun to chirp nearby. Such was life; Naruto had known that practicing this move in the forest would have consequences, but practicing it within city limits was simply not an option.

"So I don't hurt you too badly," Naruto called back with a grin. He knew that Konohamaru couldn't see it, but he couldn't help himself.

"What?" Konohamaru's voice returned, carrying a tone of incredulity, as opposed to confusion.

"You'll see in a minute!" Naruto reassured the younger boy. "Now just do it already!" he demanded, sinking into a more stable stance. /This is the first time that I'm gonna try this without Kyuubi's chakra,/ Naruto thought to himself, more than a bit worried. Though Kyuubi generated a great deal of chakra, he would only give Naruto so much before he began to hold back. /I'm probably gonna have to use this move in the jounin exams next week. I need to know how well I can do it while still saving Kyuubi for when I really need him./

"All right," Konohamaru shouted back, and Naruto could see him beginning to move his arms. It had taken a lot of convincing from Naruto to get him to do this; a full week of arguing, in fact. Konohamaru had been adamant that he didn't want to be responsible for a training accident that resulted in the death of his idol. Naruto had finally convinced Konohamaru to aid him by bribing him, after a fashion. After the jounin exams, Naruto would cheerfully teach Konohamaru the Kage Bunshin.

/A week,/ Naruto mused, even as he preformed the initial hand seals for his own technique. /I haven't seen Sakura-chan in a week. I should really go make up with her. Maybe even Sasuke if I have to. I miss her./ Naruto knew that his pride annoyed Sakura more often than not, but even as such, he hadn't been able to bring himself to apologize to her for yelling at her yet. He resolved to do so after he finished training with Konohamaru today.

"Kono Ha Maru Ha no Jutsu!" Naruto heard Konohamaru shout, and he cursed inwardly. He had been distracted by his errant thoughts, and now he was a bit behind on his seals. Naruto quickened his pace, even as he saw Konohamaru's burning red disc begin to contract. A red beam lanced away from the young ninja, and it was aimed well; Naruto knew that it would hit him if he failed.

"Katon!" He shouted, completing the final hand seal. Even as the beam approached and he drew breath for the final activation of the jutsu, he poured every ounce of his chakra that he could into the technique. "Hisan na Saigo Ha no Jutsu!"

* * * * * *

Again, Sakura found herself waiting for Sasuke. It had been nearly a week since he had given her the materials that she needed to make the scroll for him. As soon as she'd opened the old scroll, she had been simply amazed at its complexity. Never before in her life had she seen a scroll so intricately made. Since then, she had used several of her own blank scrolls and normal ink to practice for the creation of the actual scroll. It had taken her nine attempts to gain enough confidence in her skill to actually attempt the creation of Sasuke's scroll. Late last night, she had pulled his blood, the thought of which even now sent a shiver down her spine, from her miniature refrigerator and sat down. It had come surprisingly easily, even though the coppery smell of blood in her inkwell had forced her to stop and get fresh air several times.

Sakura had realized immediately a week ago that the old scroll was unreadable. It wasn't that it was decayed, or that it was in some other language. She recognized all of the characters used in the scroll, it just seemed that they were arranged in a completely random order. The only things that she did recognize were the name of the technique, which was repeated often, and the names of the two people that Sasuke had told her to re-write.

Even there, there had been an oddity. Surrounding the name 'Uchiha Akiko,' there was a great deal of space; much more so than was necessary. Sakura had contemplated mirroring the extra space around her own name for some time, but she had found that, if she did, she would run out of writing space for that column of text, since her name contained more characters than did 'Uchiha Akiko.' Since Sasuke had already told her that that was unacceptable, she had simply shrugged and put her name in without the extra spacing.

"Hey, Sakura," Sasuke's voice wafted over to her. Sakura turned, her attention returned to the present. Sasuke was standing at the end of the bridge that they, along with Naruto, had used as a meeting place when they were still genin. "Do you have it?"

"Yeah," she smiled, pulling the cream-colored scroll from her purse. Sakura wasn't sure if Sasuke had noticed, but she'd made herself up for him. Over their admittedly rather brief contact over the past week, Sasuke had seemed to her like he had changed. He was almost, but not quite warm to her, much more than he had ever been. "Here you go," she said, handing the scroll over to the raven-haired boy. He immediately opened it and unrolled it carefully, his eyes scanning each line quickly, looking for mistakes. Sakura bore his scrutiny in silence for as long as she could bear, then asked worriedly, "Is it good?"

"Perfect," Sasuke said, rolling it back up with a grin. It wasn't, however, the warm grin that she had seen on his face occasionally over the past week. This grin was cold, excited. It was dangerous. Regardless, Sakura pressed forward with her plan.

"Well, I was thinking," she began, blushing a bit underneath her makeup. "Well, I mean… Maybe, since I helped you and all…" she tried to continue, looking down and to the right. /I can't believe that I'm still like this,/ she thought to herself. Inner Sakura tried to pipe up, but Sakura again pushed her back to the recesses of her mind, as she had been doing for the past week. With a sigh, she shook her head and looked right into Sasuke's eyes.

"Would you like to go out with me sometime?" she asked, smiling. As soon as the words had left her mouth, Sakura felt her whole chest tighten in nervousness. These were the words that she'd wanted to say for years; she had fantasized about this moment for just as long. In her dreams, Sasuke would look at her in surprise for a moment, then draw her in close for an embrace. With a breathy "Yes," he would kiss her, and all would be right with the world. In reality, things were… surprisingly like her dreams. Sasuke looked at her in surprise for a moment. Then, his face melted into a relaxed expression, with a small smile alighting on his lips.

"I'm going to go train," he said bluntly, with a bit of a dismissive snort. "I thought that Naruto would be the weak link on our team, but I guess I was wrong. It looks like you're the one that's most likely to fail us. You should train too," Sasuke continued, tucking the scroll into one of his coat pockets. He walked past her, continuing over the bridge and towards the forest beyond. Sakura could barely move; she could feel her dreams crumbling around her. She heard Sasuke's footsteps stop a few feet behind her.

"Don't screw this up for me," Sasuke said darkly, his tone venom. "I've worked too damn hard to get this far. If you keep me from the techniques I need to learn in order to kill Itachi, I'll end your life in the most painful way I can imagine." His footsteps began again, walking away from her. Sakura could barely remain standing, even as he jaw shook and she tried to keep herself from crying.

/You dumbass!/ Inner Sakura finally managed to shout in her mind. /I've been trying to tell you all week! He's just using you for the damn scroll! Couldn't you see it in his eyes?/ Slowly, Sakura sank to her knees. No longer could she restrain her tears; they streamed down her cheeks, ruining her carefully applied mascara.

"He hates me," Sakura said quietly to herself, unable to believe what had just happened.

/No, it's not that…/ Inner Sakura consoled her, giving Sakura the mental equivalent of a hug. /It's just that Sasuke lives for himself. He doesn't have any room for anybody else in his little world. Certainly not for love,/ Inner Sakura continued. Sakura digested this for a minute, even as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. Her arm came away streaked with black and brown; she had forgotten about her makeup.

"Maybe," Sakura admitted, her tears finally stopping. "I just don't know."

/It's okay,/ Inner Sakura comforted, trying to help her other half as best she could. /Hey, why don't you switch with me and take a break from the world until you feel better?/

"That…" Sakura thought aloud, heaving a great sigh. "Sounds like a really good idea. Jikan Kokan no Jutsu," she concluded, performing the three hand seals. Sakura-chan, now in control, stood up and stretched luxuriously.

"Damn, that feels good," she said to herself. She walked to the end of the bridge, then down to the riverbank to look at her face. It was a streaked mess; her makeup was everywhere. With a smirk, Sakura cupped water from the stream and splashed herself in the face, scrubbing all of the makeup off. It took a few minutes, but afterwards, Sakura looked fresh again. She couldn't help but flash herself with a wide grin.

Suddenly, an explosion echoed through the forest. Sakura was on her feet and in a defensive stance in an instant, her right hand grasping for a kunai. /Damn,/ she thought angrily of Outer Sakura to herself, carefully guarding her thoughts from the still emotionally fragile girl inside her. /You just had to leave my ninja-to at home today. Oh, well./

It soon became apparent that the explosion had come from deeper in the forest, and away from the area that Sasuke had been heading towards. A cloud of dust was rising from a section of the forest far away from any that was used for training. Sakura glanced down the trail; she saw no Anbu members or jounin on the way.

"Shit," she thought to herself. "If they're not coming by now, they're not gonna be coming in time. Whoever the hell did that is gonna get away if somebody doesn't do something!" With a sinking feeling, Sakura realized that she was the only person close enough to arrive in time. "Well, there is Sasuke. Like he'll do anything. Jackass," she muttered sarcastically as she darted across the bridge and leapt into the trees.

Inner Sakura's prowess in taijutsu was apparent as she vaulted through the trees. Few chuunin would be able to keep up with her as she practically flew through the trees. Sakura allowed herself a smile of accomplishment; it had taken a great deal of training, between Kakashi-sensei and Naruto, for her to become as good as she was. Though her body didn't change at all when she used the Jinkaku Kokan, Outer Sakura hadn't done the training that had developed her muscles and reflexes. Subsequently, she wasn't really able to utilize the latent speed and strength that she had gained. It had, however, given Sakura a much-needed boost to her chakra reserves; well-tuned muscle cells generated much more chakra than they had before Inner Sakura had taken to training them.

Finally, Sakura burst into the site of the billowing dust, and cursed to herself. Whoever had done this was gone, and she could tell by the tracks that they had left that they were in a hurry. Then the enormity of what she was seeing hit her, and she looked at the site again.

Radiating from a small crater in the exact middle of the site to a distance of what Sakura guessed to be a distance of about a hundred and fifty yards, there was not a tree standing. Closer to the middle, they hadn't simply toppled; they had been ripped from the ground, roots and all, and flung to the edges of the freshly made clearing. Further out, trees had simply been blasted from their trunks, as if they'd been hit by some incredible force all at once. Those trees that still stood, out to a distance of about three hundred yards, were stripped of branches and leaves. As Sakura stepped on the scoured-bare ground, a puff of dusty dirt issued from underneath her sandal and into the air.

"What the hell made this?" she asked to herself, a shiver running down her spine. /I can't believe that I paid so little attention while I was coming here,/ Sakura scolded herself, her eyes still wide. /If these people hadn't been in such a hurry to get out of here,/ she thought, turning slow circles to take in the devastation, /They would have seen me./ Another shudder ran down her back as she realized how fortunate she had just been.

"Hold it right there!" a woman's voice commanded her. "Hands up, no jutsus." Sakura slowly raised her hands, and dropped her kunai. She recognized the voice, but couldn't place it. Something about it sounded very familiar, however. She heard the swish of a branch as someone jumped off of it, followed by approaching footsteps. They slowed after a moment, then stopped. "Sakura?"

"Yeah?" Sakura responded, turning slowly to face the woman behind her. She was wearing a white facemask modeled after a raccoon; Sakura almost melted with relief when she saw it. "Mom!" she exclaimed, dropping her arms. The Anbu pulled her mask up over her head, and rushed forward to embrace her daughter.

"What on earth are you doing here?" the older woman asked once she released her child.

"I heard the explosion, and I didn't see anyone coming. I came to see what the hell happened," Sakura explained, her voice surprisingly steady. The older woman noticed this, and the 'comforting mother' attitude that she had adopted disappeared. If anything, Sakura's inner self, she knew, could take care of herself. "I didn't see them," she said preemptively, as she saw her mother about to ask. "I think there were two, from the tracks. One there," she pointed, then shifted her arm. "And one there."

"Who's that?" a dour man's voice demanded from the trees. An Anbu with a mask designed like a badger sat in the tree. Arriving shortly after him were three other Anbu, all of which took up positions behind him.

"It's just my daughter," Sakura's mother reassured them, stepping away from her daughter. "And whoever did this is long gone. We should inform the Hokage. It could just be someone practicing where nobody's looking, but…" she trailed off.

"Right," the dour man replied, vanishing back the way he had come. The three behind him followed suit.

"I need to go do my job, honey," Sakura's mother said softly, turning to face her daughter again. "Your father and I have something for you tonight, though. Why don't you go home and rest up. I'll be home from work early, okay?"

"All right," Sakura nodded, smiling at her mother. "Be careful, Mom," she said, as she always did when they parted and her mother was about to go to work.

"There's no other way to be," the older woman replied with a smile as she pulled her mask down to cover her face. Then the woman was gone, following her partners through the treetops.

Sakura sighed and began to slowly walk home. She didn't bother hurrying; she really had nowhere to be. /Unlike Sasuke,/ she thought bitterly to herself, /I have to train hard to get anywhere. I can't make a difference in the week I've got left./ At a leisurely pace, she made her way out of the clearing and into town.

* * * * * *

Sitting cross-legged in front of the fallen ninjas' monument, Sasuke did his best to meditate, to concentrate his chakra as well as he could. /If I want to be able to use the Shijuukaigan Sharingan in time for the jounin exams, I need to master the Sharingan until it becomes easy for me to maintain,/ he thought to himself, his brow furrowed in concentration.

A great explosion echoed through the forest. Sasuke looked up for a moment, then returned to his meditation. /I don't have time for that,/ he thought to himself.

* * * * * *

That… was… AWESOME, Naruto-niichan!" Konohamaru exclaimed once he and Naruto finally re-entered town. "Forget the Kage Bunshin; teach me that technique!" Naruto breathed hard beside the younger ninja, sweat pouring down his face. As soon as he had completed his technique, Naruto had demanded that he and Konohamaru evacuate the blast site.

"No way… kid…" Naruto managed between breaths, finally stopping to rest against a convenient wall . "You… don't… have the… chakra for it… yet." /I didn't think I had the chakra for such a big blast without Kyuubi's help myself,/ he added to himself mentally, shaking his head. A little further down the street, Naruto noticed a small open-air eatery. Considering that he had just used up almost all of his chakra and had just run, at top speed, four or five miles, Naruto decided that it was time to obtain something to sooth his parched throat. He motioned with his hand towards the place, and Konohamaru walked with him towards it. The younger ninja continued to chatter at Naruto, but the blond-haired boy tuned him out, consumed with his own thoughts for the moment.

As he walked, he could feel Kyuubi pulsing gently against his seal. The demon fox loved it when he used his Hisan na Saigo Ha. /It's just the kind of technique that the damn fox would use if he had the option,/ Naruto mused cynically to himself. Nevertheless, Naruto realized the need for an emergency absolute defense technique; the Hisan na Saigo Ha filled that hole in his repertoire, worked excellently as a crowd control technique, and set him up beautifully to execute a counterattack. /It's just the type of technique that you can't use too often,/ Naruto shook his head, sitting down at a small table across from Konohamaru. An older woman wearing a rather soiled kimono approached the two shinobi with a paper pad in her hand.

"What can I get for you two?" she asked in the tone of voice that one adopts after working a job for so long that they've passed beyond the point of even insulting it for how poor it is. After a moment, she seemed to recognize Naruto. At this point, her expression darkened considerably. Konohamaru didn't even notice.

"I'd like some juice and a couple of dango," Konohamaru ordered cheerfully, his voice bringing Naruto back to the present.

"Juice," Naruto croaked. His heavy breathing, though much reduced now, had left his throat very dry. "Lots of juice."

"You got it, kid," the waitress replied, looking at Naruto warily. Naruto could read her gaze; innate feelings of loathing towards the Kyuubi were warring with her innate pity for such an obviously disheveled youth as he. It seemed that pity won out, for a small smile crossed her face. "I'll get a pitcher for you two," she said, kindness just barely evident in her voice.

"Thank you," Konohamaru chirped, having missed the entire shift of emotions in the woman. Naruto nodded towards her with a genuine smile of thanks. Her smile grew a bit, then she ducked into the kitchen. "Anyway," Konohamaru continued, again orienting on Naruto as his target for conversation. "With that technique, you're sure to pass the jounin exams."

"I guess we'll see," Naruto replied, shrugging. "Just do me a favor, okay?"

"What is it?" Konohamaru asked, becoming serious again. Naruto wasn't able to reply, because the waitress took that moment to return, carrying a tray laden with a large pitcher of amber juice, a pair of glasses, and a tray of dango. She set down the pitcher and the glasses between the two boys, saying, "I hope apple juice is okay. You didn't specify."

"It's fine, thanks," Naruto nodded his thanks as he reached for the pitcher and a glass. He filled the glass, then drank it all in one long pull. When he came up for air, he noticed that the waitress had set down the tray of dango; it was a large tray, with eight of the sweet treats on it. In front of each boy was a plate, and Konohamaru was already reaching for one of the sweets. "But we didn't order that much," Naruto protested weakly, pouring himself another glass of juice.

"Don't worry about it," she said, shaking her head. "It's on the house." She took a few steps away, then turned to face Naruto again. "You know, Naruto," she said with a smile, "you're not as bad as everybody says."

"Thank you," Naruto said, blushing. The waitress again disappeared into the kitchen, and Konohamaru snatched the juice pitcher from Naruto's custody.

"What did she mean by that?" the younger boy asked as he poured himself a glass of the sweet juice. Naruto helped himself to a dango as he took his time drinking his second glass.

"Nothing," Naruto said, a small smile on his face. Then, he shook his head and addressed Konohamaru directly. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask you not to tell anybody about the Hisan na Saigo Ha," he explained to Konohamaru frankly.

"Want to keep it a secret for the jounin exams?" Konohamaru grinned around a mouthful of dango.

"More or less," he replied cryptically. /Actually, if I can get through without using the damn thing, I'd be pretty happy about it. If I do do it, I'm gonna do what I can to keep as much of the fox as I can out of it,/ Naruto thought to himself as he began to eat his own dango. /I don't like pulling that much chakra from Kyuubi in one go. Gives him way too much of an opportunity to leak more than just his chakra into me./ Naruto shuddered a bit in memory; Kyuubi's bloodthirstiness was always the first thing to appear, then his reckless rage. It was hard to keep them in check, even though Naruto knew very well that they were not his own feelings. The few times that he'd had to draw on a lot of the fox's chakra, for any reason, Naruto… changed. And he didn't like it.

After that point, the conversation turned to more mundane matters, such as the B-rank mission that Konohamaru was leading at dawn tomorrow. They took their time consuming their impromptu snack, then parted ways after they finished.

Naruto made sure to leave more than enough money to cover the juice and the full tray of dango on the table.

* * * * * *

"Sakura-chan, are you here?" Naruto called at the house. He had been standing on her doorstep knocking for several minutes without result. When there was no reply, he sighed and jumped up to her roof, then off in the direction of his own home.

Five minutes later, Sakura rounded the corner that lead to her home. She was carrying a brown paper bag; on her way home, she'd decided to take a detour and go shopping. What she had intended to be a five-minute detour had turned into a two-hour marathon. Inside her, she could feel that Outer Sakura was coming back to her senses, and offered her a mental nudge of encouragement, which was returned. Since Outer Sakura didn't offer anything in the way of conversation, Inner Sakura decided to respect her unspoken wish, and left her alone.

/And people think I'm insensitive,/ she thought cynically as she unlocked the front door of her home and stepped inside. Once inside, Sakura ascended the stairs to the second level of her home, and made her way into her room. Once there, she unloaded her bag. A new pair of stretch red jeans went into her jeans drawer, and a black vest that was, aside from color, identical to the one she was wearing now was hung on a hangar and put into her closet.

With an impulsive glance around, more out of mischievous habit than actual necessity, Sakura drew from her bag some unmentionables, which her mother and Outer Sakura would NOT have approved of. Grinning widely, Sakura emptied her underwear drawer, then took the contents and stashed them inside her closet, next to some other items that Outer Sakura had purchased, but would never admit to owning. Next, Sakura returned to her dresser and put the lacy items in the now very empty drawer, then slid it closed. Her mischief for the day done, she fell onto her bed and grabbed the remote for the small television that she had finally convinced her parents to allow her to have in her room.

A few hours passed lazily by as she watched things that she really didn't care about on the television. She heard her father come home, and start cooking almost immediately. After a little while, her mother returned as well, and moved up to her own bedroom to change out of her Anbu armor. Soon afterwards, Sakura heard a soft knocking at her door.

"Honey, are you in there?" her mother's voice asked.

Sakura turned off the television and replied, "Yeah. Come on in." The door opened, and her mother, wearing comfortable clothes, entered. To Sakura's surprise, her father followed, carrying a long, wrapped bundle with him. /I didn't hear him come upstairs, and Dad's a chef, not a ninja,/ Sakura thought, surprised. She sat up on her bed and crossed her legs, leaving room for her parents to sit down, if they wanted. Neither of them did.

"We just wanted to tell you how proud we are of you. I couldn't even try the test until I was twenty-five," her mother said with a smile, and Sakura found herself blushing a bit. Her father brought the bundle forward and handed it to her.

"We were going to give this to you after you finished the test, pass or fail," he said by way of explanation as Sakura began to unwrap the gift. "But we talked some, and decided that it might be more useful to you if you had it for the test."

Sakura was left in awe, staring at what she found herself holding. It was a gorgeous ninja-to; she could tell that much just from holding it. The hilt was wrapped in real ray-skin, and capped in brass. Hammered into the cap, obviously by hand, was a beautifully rendered cherry blossom petal. The sheath was beautiful too; it was heavy, and made out of metal, just the way she liked it. Two long slits along the wide side on either side lightened the sheath considerably. It was painted a matte black, aside from brass caps on either end of the sheath. These too bore the hand-hammered cherry blossom petal.

Through the slits in the sheath, Sakura could see that the blade had been powdercoated black, except for the edge itself. This would reduce the reflectability of the blade, even in the noontime sun, to almost nil. It was a favorite trick of the Anbu, since the technique had come into use a few years ago.

"It's made of folded steel, just like the best katanas," her mother offered. Sakura looked up from the beautiful weapon and towards her parents; she couldn't believe what they had just given her. If her mother was telling the truth, Sakura was holding a much higher quality weapon than even her mother used.

"We had it custom made for you," her father said, grinning at her expression of amazement. "Congratulations."

"Thank you!" Sakura finally shouted, jumping up to embrace both parents. They returned the embrace warmly, even though Sakura, the sword still in her right hand, thumped it into her father's back rather hard.

"Let's go downstairs and have dinner," her father suggested, and the two women readily agreed. Sakura ate well that night, with her new sword by her side. The festivities even coaxed Outer Sakura out of her misery, and into a much more festive mood.

That night, when Sakura went to bed, her new ninja-to went with her, clutched in her arms like a child holds a stuffed animal.

* * * * * *

Sasuke stumbled into his apartment late that night. With barely a thought, he tossed his keys onto his bedside stand and collapsed into his futon. The raven-haired youth was asleep barely before his head touched down on the pillow.

* * * * * *

Morning broke slowly over the village of Konoha, and it brought an unusual visitor. Two chuunin, the village's night guards, were conversing quietly on top of the village's closed gates when they noticed a cloaked figure making it's way towards them. The figure was using a long staff with something that looked like a ball at the top end as a walking stick. It had another long pole strapped across it's back.

"Who's there?" one of the chuunin guards called in challenge. His partner reached for a sword that she kept strapped at her side. The figure stopped, raised the long pole it was carrying, and drove it into the ground, hard. The pole quivered for a minute before the figure spoke.

"My name is Masako Toru. I am here with two messages," the figure declared, pushing back her steeple-like sakkat so that it hung from her neck by its' string. The sun finally rose over the treetops, its' rays revealing a pale face with cold, blue eyes. The guards, however, were not looking at her; the sun's rays shone brightly on the rounded item at the end of Masako's staff.

Long, black hair hung almost two feet below the roughly severed stump where the head had once been attached to a body. Blood had drained down the staff, but it was now dried. A few flies buzzed around it. Lolling out of the head's mouth was a long, pale pink tongue. It hung down below the head's jaw, issuing from between a pair of slightly elongated canine teeth. The head's yellow, vertically slitted eyes were wide open in an almost comical expression of surprise.

"My first message is for the people of Konoha," she announced, just loud enough so that the guards could hear her. "Orochimaru is dead. The war between the Leaf and the Sound is over."

*** Author's Notes ***

Woo hoo! Another chapter in the bag. Anyway, I just wanted to thank everybody who's been taking the time to review me, especially the ones that have been asking serious questions about different things in my fic. It keeps me on my toes, and I appreciate it greatly.

Anyway, I know that pretty much everybody who doesn't like Sasuke is now gonna want to murder him brutally, and everyone who DOES like him is gonna want to murder ME brutally. Oh, well. Can't win everyone over, I guess. Or anyone. Oh, well. I'll just lock my door at night.

So… yeah! Reviews, even negative ones, are much appreciated. If you don't complain, I won't get any better! Thanks, for your time, everybody, and a BIG thanks to my prereaders!.

~Flash ()

Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Call Me Call Me," The Seatbelts, Cowboy Bebop OST. This is a great song, and it fits the Sakura/Sasuke interaction to a tee. Actually, I'm thinking about making this song the series theme. Oh, well.

Character Themes:

Tsunade: "Main Theme," Iria: Zieram the Animation OST. This is a fun and flavorful song, and I think it fits Tsunade pretty well. Anyone who's seen this anime will agree with me that Tsunade and Iria bear more than a passing resemblance to each other, in terms of personality. I wish I had the link to this one, but I found it years and years ago. You could probably find it by doing a Google search for Iria: Zieram the Animation music. I think.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Six: Enlightenment

"My first message is for the people of Konoha," the woman named Masako announced, just loud enough so that the overnight gate guards could hear her. "Orochimaru is dead. The war between the Leaf and the Sound is over." At this rather surprising statement, the guards looked at each other warily for a moment, while Masako stood mostly in the shadow of the gates. Sunlight shone on her face brightly, yet she did not so much as squint at it. Her pale blue eyes reflected the sunlight, while her thin lips pursed in silence. She wore her hair, an odd shade of bluish black, short and very mussed, almost like a man's. Though the cloak hid much, she had no figure to speak of. If it weren't for her soft voice, it would be easy to mistake her for a man, an illusion she did nothing to dispel.

"Wait there," the female guard shouted back at Masako, as her male counterpart leapt from the gates. "We need someone to confirm this." Masako merely nodded and waited patiently. As time passed, and the sun began to beat down on her cloaked body, Masako released the strings holding the front of the garment together. Underneath, she wore a simple gray short-sleeved shirt to cover her torso and a pair of baggy black pants. They were gathered at her ankles with bandages, which then descended to wrap around her feet. The woman wore no shoes. Eventually, the gates opened, and a rather well endowed blond woman stepped out, followed by a pair of male shinobi.

"Hello," Masako greeted the woman, inclining her head slightly.

"So, this is Orochimaru," the well-endowed woman asked, examining the head on the pole. Masako found it interesting that the woman had not even greeted her.

"Yes," Masako replied simply. "We found and executed the man in the Sand country. He was trying to use the desert caves as a hiding place." Masako turned to face the well-endowed woman, her cloak slipping a bit as she did so. The sun glinted off of something metal inside the woman's cloak, and Masako quickly pulled the garment back into place. The well-endowed woman was facing her; Masako had no doubts that she had seen it.

"Well, you're telling the truth, at least," the well-endowed woman said with a half grin. "This is Orochimaru's head, and he is dead for good. His spirit still lingers over the body." She turned to face the shinobi that had come out of the village with her. "Take this garbage and incinerate it," she instructed the man simply. He nodded, yanked the pole, and walked through the gates of Konoha, carrying it.

"Godaime, I presume," Masako ventured, having noted the shinobi's immediate obedience.

"You presume a lot," Tsunade replied, her tone turning cold. "You said that you were carrying two messages. What's the second one?"

"I'm sorry. Those words are for the ears of Uchiha Sasuke alone," Masako shook her head, her voice still soft. Tsunade's eyes narrowed a bit. "May I enter your village?" Masako asked softly, after a minute. Tsunade stood in place for a minute, thinking.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not quite sure what to make of you," Tsunade mused aloud, walking slowly around Masako. "You bring us news and proof of the death of the village's greatest enemy, you act as a messenger to the person that that enemy most wanted," she continued, her scrutiny unabated. Masako did not flinch under the woman's unwavering gaze, but it was easy to sense that the fifth Hokage was none to happy about her appearance.

"And yet," Tsunade started again after a short pause, reaching inside Masako's cloak suddenly and withdrawing her right hand. On the ring finger glinted a small golden ring, inscribed with a seldom-used character. "By the ring and the… butchered hitai-ite, you are Akatsuki, and not an underling." Masako pulled her hand away from Tsunade, who let the limb go. Masako tucked it back under her cloak.

"You speak the truth," Masako admitted simply, saying no more on the subject. Tsunade finished circling the woman and regarded her seriously again.

"You will make no move against any man, woman, or child in the village," Tsunade demanded suddenly. "Particularly Uzumaki Naruto. If you take such an action, all of Konoha will mobilize against the Akatsuki." Masako nodded slightly.

"The organization has no further interest in Uzumaki Naruto. Our research has revealed that, contrary to what we had thought previously on the subject, the Kyuubi is uncontrollable once removed from a sealed vessel," Masako explained quietly, her tone even. "The Uzumaki child is too uncontrollable himself for our purposes anyway."

"Fine," Tsunade relented, stepping aside. As Masako passed her, she added quietly, "But you will be watched." Masako stopped, nodded slightly again, then continued into the village of Konoha.

* * * * * *

/So, does this mean that you're coming over to my side?/ Inner Sakura asked cheerfully. Sakura, walking just a bit awkwardly, scowled at her counterpart's question.

"Just because you hid all my real underwear and I had to wear this… thing doesn't mean anything," Sakura said with a blush. She was wearing her red jeans higher than usual today, in a desperate attempt to keep the strings of her… underwear hidden from the rest of the world. Strapped across the small of her back was her new ninja-to, which she was more than proud of. Even though Inner Sakura was by far the more skilled of the two of them with the weapon, Sakura could wield the weapon with skill as well. In her left hand, she carried the scroll that Sasuke had left in her possession.

/It's not like you actually looked very hard for your normal stuff,/ Inner Sakura taunted, and Sakura's blush deepened by several shades. It was true; upon discovering Inner Sakura's rather risqué idea of underwear, Sakura had only spent about five minutes searching for her proper under things before putting it on.

"Shut up," she growled at her inner self, which only sent the mischievous girl into fits of laughter. Finally, she arrived at her destination: the apartment building in which Naruto lived. Carefully, the girl looked up. There, on the top floor, was the only apartment with a porch, which Naruto had installed himself. With a nod, Sakura jumped up to the top of a nearby building, which was much shorter, then again to another building that was within leaping distance of Naruto's porch.

/You want me to be in control?/ Inner Sakura taunted her as Sakura was about to make her final jump. She stopped, knowing that she couldn't afford the distraction on such a long jump. /If you do, I can make sure that Naruto-kun gets the full benefit of your laziness from earlier this morning,/ Inner Sakura said with a mental wink.

"Aaah, you pervert!" Sakura shouted at herself, unable to contain her response from her surprise. "You know full well that we're waiting for… for…," Sakura trailed off.

/For Sasuke?/ Inner Sakura asked, her mirth dispelled by Sakura's remembrance of the raven-haired boy. /You know damn well that he's never gonna have anything to do with you, at least not in the way you wanted. Naruto-kun… well, he's right there./

"I know," Sakura admitted with a sigh. "I'm just not ready for that kinda stuff. It's just…" she trailed off with a sigh.

/Too much to deal with, I know,/ Inner Sakura finished for her. /Don't worry. I'm not gonna hijack your body to have a wild night of passion with Naruto-kun. I promise,/ Inner Sakura reassured her. Then, with a wave of mischievousness, added, /unless you want me to./

"Shut up," Sakura rolled her eyes, pushing Inner Sakura do the recesses of her mind. She had a jump to make.

"Hey! Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice intruded upon her, just as she was about to ready herself to make the jump. Sakura looked up to see Naruto leaning against the railing of his porch and waving at her "What's up?"

"Hey! It's just me, Naruto. I need to talk to you!" Sakura shouted back. Naruto moved away from the railing to give Sakura a place to land. With a running start, Sakura leapt from the building she was on and landed easily on Naruto's porch.

"Actually, I kinda needed to talk to you too," Naruto said as she landed, then blushed and looked away.

"What is it?" Sakura asked before she remembered what she was wearing. With a yelp, she pulled her pants higher up; they had fallen just enough for the strings of her… underwear to become visible. "Inner Sakura's idea of a bad joke," Sakura said by way of explanation, her cheeks burning red. Naruto seemed to relax a bit at that, but he kept his eyes fixed rigidly on her face.

"Anyway, I needed to apologize for being such an ass and not coming to see you sooner," Naruto explained, his right hand scratching the back of his head. "I just got jealous of Sasuke again. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Sakura replied with a sigh. "Actually, you were right about him all along. I thought he was just playing hard to get, but I'm pretty sure now that he doesn't like me." Naruto did a double take, then checked her eyes.

"Are you sure that you're not Sakura-chan?" he asked upon discovering that Sakura's eyes were indeed green.

"It's a long story," Sakura said with the type of sigh that closed the subject. "Actually, I want you to take a look at this," she continued, handing the scroll that she was carrying to Naruto. He took the cream-colored scroll and opened it, scanning over the characters.

"I don't get it," he shook his head, rolling the scroll back up. "I know that it's not a summoning scroll, but aside from that, I'm clueless. Why do you want to know?" Naruto asked quizzically.

"Well, Sasuke got me to copy this thing over for him, and he played me pretty hard to get me to do it," Sakura explained as she leaned against the railing of Naruto's porch. "I've never seen him go that far to get a technique. I'm worried."

"Really?" Naruto asked. Sakura simply nodded. "Well, then," he declared with a grin. "Let's go find out what it is!"

"Huh?" Sakura asked dumbly, confused.

"Tsunade-baba owes me a couple. I'll just ask her!" Naruto confidently declared, taking a running leap off of his porch. He landed on a nearby building, then turned and waved for Sakura to follow. She too took a leap off of Naruto's porch.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked heatedly as she landed. "Tsunade-sama's not gonna just let you burst in and ask her. You've gotta make an appointment!"

"Trust me, Sakura-san," Naruto reassured her, jumping off towards the central offices. Sakura found herself following the blond-haired boy with a nod as he hurried from building to building. Naruto was much faster than she was, but he didn't go so fast that she couldn't keep up. As they were making their final approach to the offices, Naruto suddenly motioned with his right hand. Sakura looked, and saw Tsunade walking down the road, followed by a cluster of shinobi. Naruto leapt toward the group, and Sakura followed.

"I want at least two Anbu on her at a time. She goes nowhere without us knowing. And I want to know everything about her training. She wears a Konoha hitai-ite; she lived and trained here at some point," Tsunade demanded curtly. All of the ninja followed her made motions or statements of agreement, and one of the shinobi leapt away from the group, heading towards Anbu headquarters.

"Hey! Tsunade!" Naruto crowed as he landed. The procession came to a halt as Tsunade, at its head, stopped to regard the young ninja.

"What is it, Naruto? I've got a lot of stuff to do today," Tsunade said, her tone betraying a hint of exasperation at the hyperactive ninja before her. Sakura landed behind him somewhat meekly, then offered a bow to Tsunade.

"It's quick, I promise," Naruto said, tossing the scroll to the Hokage. "We just wanna know what that is, okay?" Tsunade gave a sigh and opened the scroll, glancing its' contents. Her eyes narrowed, and she opened the scroll further, examining it much more closely.

"Where did you get this?" Tsunade asked directly, looking up from the scroll. One of the ninja behind her, a Hyuuga by his eyes, was murmuring to another ninja, his face showing obvious concern.

"Sasuke gave it to me to copy," Sakura explained before Naruto got the chance. "What is it?" she asked, worry darkening her face.

"This is a Hyuuga blood scroll," Tsunade replied, rolling the scroll back up. She turned to the Hyuuga standing behind her, who immediately snapped to attention. "Tell Hiashi-sama that I need to see him at his earliest convenience," she said to the silver-eyed man. He nodded and leapt up, moving quickly away from the group. Returning her attention to the two younger shinobi before her, Tsunade said, "I'll take care of this. You two should go train. After all, the jounin exams begin in less than a week." The two youths nodded dumbly, and Tsunade moved away from them, making her way towards her offices. The two shinobi left in her little procession quickly followed her, leaving Naruto and Sakura alone.

"What the hell's a Hyuuga blood scroll?" Naruto asked nobody in particular once Tsunade was gone.

"I don't know," Sakura shook her head. "Of course, they are the Hyuuga clan. Not exactly known for being up-front with the rest of the village," she continued after a moment with a snort.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Well, I'm gonna go try and get some training done. You wanna come?" Naruto asked, having seemingly banished the odd scroll from his mind. Sakura couldn't help but smile at Naruto's ability to simply deal with any random unpleasantness that he came across.

"I'm not going to get any stronger or faster in a week, Naruto," Sakura replied with an exasperated look. "Anyway, I've been doing my best to practice my new genjutsu in my room, so nobody sees what they do before the test," she explained when she saw Naruto's disappointed expression.

"All right," he nodded in response, and made to leap away.

"Wait," Sakura said impulsively, and Naruto practically fell over; he'd gathered himself to jump, and was now badly overbalanced. The boy managed to keep himself from tumbling onto his face, however, and turned to regard the pink-haired girl. "Well, umm…" Sakura stammered, her sudden impulse not seeming like such a good idea anymore.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, smiling. His easy confidence gave Sakura a bit of her own, and she was able to continue.

"Well, you always wanted to go out with me when we were younger, and we've been friends for so long," Sakura said. As she spoke, she could actually see Naruto's eyes widening in surprise. Inside, Sakura found herself wondering just how much of what she was saying had been influenced by her inner self. "If you still want to go out with me, I'd like to give you the chance that you deserve," she finished in a rush, her cheeks turning a pale pink with embarrassment.

/HELL YEAH!/ Inner Sakura shouted inside Sakura's head. Sakura couldn't hold back a tiny wince at the volume of her other self's voice.

"Sakura-san…" Naruto trailed off, trying to formulate a response. He'd dreamt of this when he was younger, but he'd come to realize something himself in that time. A short while after Jiraiya had left Konoha, Naruto had stopped trying to get Sakura to go out with him. Now, he found himself at a loss for words.

"I do, but," Naruto paused, trying to find the right words. "There's a part of me that you don't know about. A part of me that I don't want you to know about, because it scares me. I never really dealt with it, because I didn't think you'd ever be interested in me." Naruto paused again, and he could see Sakura's face falling, her disappointment easily apparent. "I just need some time," Naruto hedged; he could guess how Sasuke had let her down, and he wasn't about to do the same. "Maybe after the jounin exams," he finished with a wan smile. /Goddamn fox,/ Naruto thought angrily. /The one time I get what I want, I've gotta pass it up because you're too damn unpredictable!/ The demon inside Naruto pulsed against his seal malevolently for a moment, then settled back down.

Sakura was silent; she could think of nothing to say. The silence pressed on between then until it was uncomfortable. Even her inner self had nothing to say. Naruto turned back around, obviously intending to leave.

"Naruto," Sakura said quietly, before Naruto had an opportunity to gather himself. "Just don't make me wait too long." He looked back at her and smiled, then leapt to a nearby roof.

"Sakura-san!" Naruto shouted back at her. Sakura looked up in surprise, just in time to see Naruto pulling his pants up in an exaggerated fashion. It took the pink-haired girl a moment to grasp his meaning. With another yelp, Sakura again pulled her pants higher, which provoked a fit of laughter from Naruto.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything!" Naruto shouted down at her, then stuck out his tongue.

"Pervert!" she shouted back, laughter in her voice. Naruto simply turned and jumped to another building, making his way away from her.

/Now,/ Inner Sakura said smugly, /Aren't you glad that you wore them after all?/

"Shut up," she told her inner self as she began her trek home. Inner Sakura didn't respond, instead sending waves of smugness toward the side of her that was currently in control. /After all, I didn't exactly say 'no' there,/ Sakura mused to herself. Somehow, she had a hard time convincing herself that she would have, had her inner self pressured her.

* * * * * *

Toru Masako was annoyed. This… was unusual for her. She was a patient woman, and would gladly admit that the thrill of the hunt was far better than the rewards of finding one's prey. Still, she had been in Konoha for three days now, and she had yet to find the Uchiha boy. She had asked many people in the village for help in finding him, but nobody would offer her any assistance, even when she offered money. This was most likely due to the Anbu that shadowed her everywhere.

"Damn it." Masako said to herself in an unusual fit of exasperation. "I've got three days left until the jounin exams begin, and a week until 'he' arrives." She glanced backwards, and an Anbu scooted into a convenient bush. This was fine with her; the Anbu had been far enough back that he couldn't have heard what she'd said. Masako had left her cloak at the inn she was staying at, and wore a shirt unburdened by the Konoha hitai-ite that adorned her fighting clothes.

Masako saw a flash of red and white, and turned her head in time to see the symbol of the Uchiha clan, a red-and-white fan, on the back of a black-haired teenager. He was moving towards the village's forested training areas, and Masako couldn't help but smile. /Perfect,/ she thought, smiling thinly. /Now, to lose the Anbu./ Masako followed the teenager as best she could. He passed over a red-painted bridge, and made his way towards the memorial. Masako allowed him to vanish into the trees, knowing that she could catch up to him easily. She could sense the Anbu behind her.

"Come out of hiding," she called out to them, her voice quiet enough that she was unsure that the Anbu squad would hear her. "I need you to take a message back to the Hokage," she said more loudly, turning around. Only one Anbu emerged from the trees, her face hidden by a raccoon-like mask. Masako ground her teeth a bit at this, but she knew that the other one was nearby.

"What is it?" the woman asked warily. She fingered a short sword strapped to the outside of her left thigh, but did not draw it. Masako suddenly brought her hands up, her fingers forming a circle. Chakra exploded off of her, but she spoke before either Anbu could react.

"Maru no Suimin no Jutsu," Masako said quietly. The Anbu she could see fell to the ground, asleep, and Masako heard clearly the sound of a body falling out of a tree. She walked over to the man and checked to make sure that he was actually asleep. Satisfied, she crossed the bridge and stepped carefully over a faintly glowing white line in the ground. If it were broken, her genjutsu would be undone, and the two Anbu behind her would awaken. With one last glance backwards to ensure that she was free us surveillance, Masako made her way to the fallen shinobi memorial. She was more than surprised when a man dropped out of the trees as she was on her way and put a kunai to her neck from behind.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" he asked curtly, the tip of his kunai pressing uncomfortably into her neck.

"My name is Toru Masako. Are you Uchiha Sasuke?" Masako asked, her voice steadier than her confidence would suggest. /I'm not sure weather this guy is very good or very bad. I can barely sense his chakra,/ she thought to herself.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied quickly, then the pressure his kunai was applying to her throat lessened. "Where do I know that name from?" he asked himself aloud.

"I have a message for you from your brother," Masako stated flatly, relaxing somewhat. /If things have worked out that way I planned…/ she thought to herself as she resisted the urge to nibble her lower lip in nervousness. The kunai was quickly withdrawn from her throat, and Sasuke took a step backwards. Masako stepped away from him and turned to face the youth. He looked at her with an obvious interest, poorly masked by affected boredom. Masako noted with interest that he had already returned his kunai to the holster he wore on his right leg.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, looking off to his left. Masako had to work to keep a smile at his poor acting ability from surfacing.

"Itachi is coming. He will be here in little more than a week," Masako explained simply, having never been one for preambles. "And he plans to kill you this time." Sasuke regarded her dispassionately, and Masako found herself wondering if his acting ability was indeed poor at all. /Either he's a lot better at acting than I thought,/ she mused to herself, /or he's supremely confident./

"Good," Sasuke nodded, a grim smile crossing his face. "I'll be waiting for him." The Uchiha boy moved to leave, but pulled up short. "That's where I know you from," he said coldly, looking at her. Masako found herself meeting his gaze, somewhat to her chagrin. "I'll never forget those eyes," Sasuke growled, his eyes narrowing.

"You seek to blame me for what your brother did?" Masako asked simply, her expression betraying nothing.

"You stood with him before, and left with him afterwards. You were there," Sasuke accused coldly, turning to face her properly, his eyes never leaving hers. "You were his woman."

"I was his partner," Masako replied, her tone finally betraying an icy coldness. Her own eyes narrowed as she glared at the young Uchiha. "And I still am. I merely hoped to spare you from a quick death at your brother's hands." Masako took a quick gamble, guessing that the younger Uchiha was not hiding his chakra, but simply didn't generate enough to be easily sensed. "You are weak. If you don't want to die, leave here now. I won't tell him where you've gone," she stated coldly, her accusation eliciting a sneer of anger from Sasuke, telling her that she'd guessed correctly.

"You're wrong," Sasuke returned, stepping forward so that his face was mere inches from hers. Seething anger was apparent in his tone. "This time, Itachi will die, I promise you. Then I'll kill you, for letting him get away with what he did." Masako did not respond, but continued to glare at Sasuke.

* * * * * *

Itachi walked slowly from the ancestral Uchiha home. The street he entered was littered with the corpses of those who had stood with his family when he had attacked. Standing alone in that street was a woman made remarkable only by the fact that she was alive. Itachi joined her, and said something to the woman. She had nodded, and Itachi left. Then, the woman had turned her head to look through the open door of the Uchiha home, from which a terrified seven-year-old child stared. Cold blue eyes met wavering brown ones for a long moment before she followed Itachi.

Sasuke had never forgotten the intense coldness of those eyes.

* * * * * *

Masako finally turned her eyes away from Sasuke's gaze. He snorted disgustedly, but allowed her to move around him. Without another word to her, he continued towards his chosen training grounds. Slowly, thoughtfully, Masako returned to where she'd left the Anbu sleeping. Carefully, she stepped over the softly glowing line and resumed the position that she'd taken when she'd used her jutsu. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she tossed a shuriken behind her. It arced up, over the bridge, and came down in precisely the right location to sever the glowing line in the dirt. Immediately, the two Anbu began to wake up, quickly shaking the effects of the forced sleep from their systems.

"Tell the Hokage her Anbu are in need of more intense training," Masako stated simply once she was sure that they were roused enough to hear her. The anger that the two exuded was palpable, but Masako simply made her way past them and walked back towards the village. /Perfect,/ she thought with a small nod. /Absolutely perfect./

* * * * * *

Hyuuga Hiashi, the strongest member of the strongest clan in Konoha, slid the doorway to the Hokage's personal quarters shut behind him with a soft thump. He removed his shoes and stepped up into her home. Tsunade was waiting for him, obviously less than pleased. She turned and began to lead him into her living room.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Hyuuga-sama," she addressed him with a false smile. "I trust that my couriers conveyed the urgency of this meeting?" the Hokage asked, her politeness obviously forced. Hiashi made an effort to keep his anger in check; though he was the head of the most powerful clan in Konoha, it would not do to offend the Hokage.

"They did," Hiashi replied, his tone conveying neither disrespect nor anger. "I trust that my couriers informed you of the unimportance of the matter?" he asked with a bow of respect, attempting to remind Tsunade that he had, he thought, dealt with the matter sufficiently.

"That is not for you to determine, Hiashi," Tsunade stated flatly, the diplomacy fleeing from her voice. Hiashi paused for a moment at the intenseness of her tone before he continued to follow her. "The council installed me as Hokage. You were a part of it. As such, when I try to perform my duties, I expect you to cooperate," Tsunade continued, finally losing her temper. "It has taken me four days to get you to come here."

"I am sorry, Hokage-sama," Hiashi replied, uncomfortable at being on the defensive. "But, as I am sure my couriers have informed you, a Hyuuga blood scroll will only work for someone capable of using the Byakugan. It will not function for anyone else," Hiashi continued as they entered Tsunade's living room. Hiashi sat down on one side of her table, his outermost kimono pooling around him on the floor as he sat. "It is not the duty of the Hokage to waste the time of her most capable supporters," he said calmly, returning her earlier barb. With narrowed eyes, Tsunade tossed a cream-colored scroll to the elder Hyuuga. He opened it, gave it a cursory glance, and closed it again.

"It is a blood scroll, yes," Hiashi said, his tone finally betraying his exasperation. "Now, if I may? I need to supervise the completion of Neji's training. The jounin exams are only days away." The elder Hyuuga moved to rise from the table, whereas Tsunade had not even sat.

"Look again," Tsunade commanded, sliding the doorway to her living room closed. Her anger was apparent to Hiashi, and it put him off-guard. Tsunade had never been like this to him before. He opened the scroll again and spread it on the table, examining it more closely.

"It's the scroll for the Shijuukaigan Sharingan," Hiashi exclaimed, surprised. He looked up at Tsunade with alarm.

"I know," Tsunade replied coldly, moving to sit down across the table from the elder Hyuuga. "Since you refused to grace me with your presence, I had to track down all of the recorded histories of the uses of Hyuuga blood scrolls. Much to my surprise, I only had to look as far as the Uchiha rebellion."

"The technique that created the Uchiha clan," Hiashi breathed in amazement, looking again at the scroll before him. "I thought that all of the scrolls containing this technique were destroyed long ago."

"Apparently not," Tsunade replied dryly, her anger abating somewhat. "The histories told me what it was, and how to identify it. They didn't tell me how it functions. Would you be so kind as to fill in the gaps?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from her tone. Hiashi, having little other option, nodded once and rolled up the scroll.

"The Shijuukaigan Sharingan wasn't only the technique that liberated the Uchiha clan," he began, his tone low. "It was the technique that created it. In those days, it was simply known as Shijuukaigan no Jutsu, and had been developed recently as a way for those Hyuuga clan members who were talented in ninjutsu to fight back against their opponents more effectively. It changed their Byakugan eyes to become what we now know call the Sharingan permanently. We learned later that the change was genetic, and would be passed on to their children."

"In those times, we were much less cautious about who we allowed to use out blood techniques," Hiashi continued, his tone betraying a bit of shame. "It required a great deal of chakra to change our Byakugan eyes. The man that invented the Shijuukaigan Sharingan, Shinda Uchiha, discovered that, through a specific combination of seals and blood symbols, it was possible to increase one's chakra generating and physical combat capabilities permanently. What we didn't know was that the power surge would strip the user of his sanity. We also didn't know that Shinda was obsessed with being free of the Hyuuga clan's dominance."

"He gathered capable shinobi to his cause quickly. They called themselves the Uchiha clan because, as they said, they would burst free from the Hyuuga house like a tidal wave," Hiashi continued. Tsunade leaned forward, her interest piqued, the histories of the Uchiha clan rebellion having been vague at best. "When they made their move, we found out very quickly how unstable and powerful their technique had made them. They could no longer use our techniques on their own, but their Sharingan eyes allowed them to copy us perfectly. Those few that chose to activate their technique again were the most devastating of all. We had to let them go, or risk being destroyed, despite our overwhelming numbers." Hiashi stopped for a moment and drew in a deep breath, then released it.

"To someone that already has access to the Sharingan, the power surge of the Shijuukaigan is overwhelming," Hiashi explained, finally addressing Tsunade's question directly. "It strips the mind of any semblance of sanity. Whatever thoughts the user has at the moment of activation consume him, turning him into an obsessive maniac. Furthermore, paranoid schizophrenia and psychosis are common along with this. In exchange for this madness, the user of the Shijuukaigan Sharingan has his or her capabilities in taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu increased proportionally from the levels they are at when the technique is used."

"You're kidding me," Tsunade said, her brow furrowed in worry.

"That's not all," Hiashi said, shaking his head. This caused Tsunade's eyes to widen a bit, but he continued before she could say anything. "The Shijuukaigan Sharingan temporarily allows its user to see moments into the future, by allowing them to read chakra patterns as they prepare a muscle to move. With sufficient speed, a user of the Shijuukaigan Sharingan will become undefeatable in combat, simply because he can execute a counterattack before his opponent has even finished performing their own attack."

"And if what Haruno-san says is true," Tsunade thought aloud when Hiashi stopped, "Sasuke already a copy of this scroll in his possession." Hiashi thought about this for a moment before he replied

"If that is the case, then we must retrieve the scroll from him, then destroy it," Hiashi stated deliberately, striking his shaven chin thoughtfully. "We must not, however, give him any indication that we plan to do so. Also, we must not push him in any way to use the technique. Once he does, he will readily use it again to defend himself."

"Damn," Tsunade cursed under her breath. "I'll have to inform the jounin taking part in the examinations. We can't take the chance that one of them will push him too far in the Anbu or the Assassination sections."

"Agreed," Hiashi nodded, his lips pursed in thought. He was silent for a moment, then nodded, as if to confirm his own thoughts. "There is not enough time before the jounin examinations begin to take the scroll from him safely. If, by some chance though, he does use it, he will be a danger to the whole village."

"I know. It will be up to me to deal with him if that happens," Tsunade nodded, rising from the table. She made her way to the door to the room, opened it, then turned to regard Hiashi again. "Next time, I trust that you will be more compliant when I summon you," she stated flatly.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Hiashi replied humbly, also rising. They walked out to Tsunade's landing together in silence.

"We might have been able to take care of this before the jounin exams if it weren't for your arrogance," Tsunade noted, moving aside to allow Hiashi to step down to put on his shoes. He did so in silence, his head bowed.

"I know, Hokage-sama. I am truly sorry," Hiashi repeated, then bowed again. Without another word, he left, his wooden geta-style sandals clicking quietly as he walked away.

*** Author's Notes ***

Bwahahahahaha… another chapter down! And early! I must be going INSANE!!! Not really, but oh, well. So, what did you like, guys and gals? Sakura in a thong? Sasuke going even more obsessive than he already is? ITACHI, of all people, coming back for blood? DO you like Masako? ::Cowers in fear, hoping that his only main-line original character won't be hated:: I had to make her, guys, honest! Nobody else in the cast would do!

Anyway, in case you hadn't noticed, it's Thursday, and I'm posting. Does this mean that I'm going to post on Sunday too? Well, your answer is… YES! Since the Christians who run my school wanted Friday off, they let the rest of us off too. Thank you, Christian peoples, and have fun celebrating whatever holiday it is that you're celebrating! If I managed to offend anyone with that last line, just remember… I'm giving you a free chapter this week! So there!

Seriously, though, I'm still begging for feedback, in any form that anyone wants to give to me. PLEASE!!! ::Ahem:: Thanks to everybody who's taken the time to review my fic so far. I respond to EACH AND EVERY review that I get, so long as there's an e-mail address attached. Thanks again to my prereaders! You're great, guys! Now, to write chapter seven… ::shoulders hurt in anticipation::

As always,

~Flash ()

P.S.: Does anyone even READ these themesongs that I include? I spend much time on them…

P.P.S.: Double points to anyone who can figure out what Masako's name translates as, and what it references to! Here's a hint: "Masako" has roughly the same meaning as "Michi no." I think.

The Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Electric Clouds," by po! This is a very nice, relaxing remix of the Zeal theme from Chrono Trigger. Well-done, and of a variety that I think everybody'd like. Nice and relaxing for a chapter with almost no 'action' in it. Pick it up at the Overclocked Remix (.org).

Character Themes:

Toru Masako: "The Journey to the West," by Strider Yokoshima. This is a remix of the excellent song by the same name from Princess Mononoke. It's quiet, yet fast. I like it a lot. Find it at ()

New Moves:

Maru no Suimin no Jutsu- Circle of Sleep Skill: This jutsu inscribes a circle around its user. Anyone caught inside this circle, aside from the user, is immediately put to sleep by this powerful genjutsu. The radius of the circle is dependant upon the amount of chakra that the user puts into the technique. Any damage or smudging will cause the jutsu to cancel. This jutsu is not resistable.

Translations: (Shijuukaigan is under here because Hiashi-sama told us what it does!)

Shijuukaigan Sharingan- Continuous Enlightenment Copy Wheel Eye

Baba- literally "Old Woman." Naruto calls Tsunade this.

Hitai-ite- Those cool forehead protectors that everyone wears.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Seven: Team Seven, Broken?

High in the central tower of the Konoha central offices, over thirty ninja sat and talked amongst themselves, filling the room with a pervasive and loud murmur. Seated in various positions, these ninja were the pride of Konoha's fighting force. Jounin all, the group numbered amongst their members such figures as Hatake Kakashi, the copy ninja, and Maito Gai, the self-titled 'Green Beast of Konoha.' One of their number, a fairly nondescript ninja who wore his black hair somewhat long and spiky checked the clock and, with a sigh, stepped up to the front of the room.

"People," he called out, adjusting his glasses. When the crowd didn't quiet at all, he repeated somewhat more loudly, "People, please? We're five minutes late already. Can we please get through this so that I can get home to dinner?" Slowly, the jounin stopped their conversations and paid attention to the man in front. "All right," he said once the noise level had dropped enough. "The jounin exams begin tomorrow morning. As you all know, this is your final briefing before the first section of the test, so pay attention."

"Oh, before we start," he said, motioning to a couple on ninja dressed differently than the rest of the crowd. "I want to thank the representatives from the Hidden Sand, Hidden Cloud, and Hidden Mist for coming. As you all know, they're here to ensure objectivity when we decide who gets to join us." Two jounin, sitting quietly, nodded back to the man in front. One, a woman from Hidden Cloud, was dressed snugly in warm, winter clothes, having just recently arrived. Beside her, the representative from the Hidden Mist was unidentifiable underneath his or her cloak and respirator. The representative from the Hidden Sand, however, had engaged a Konoha jounin in conversation, and had not yet bothered to stop.

"Sorano-san?" the man in front called, trying to get the ninja's attention. The Sand ninja seemed to hear his name and turned to face the front. Unlike most of the shinobi in the room, he was old. At least sixty, his face was wrinkled and leathery from a lifetime in the Sand country. He wore his forehead protector low; so low, in fact, that is obscured his brow from view, and made it look as if his eyes were capped off by the dull brown of the cloth. His hair was an intense shade of red, or had been when he was young. Now, it was liberally speckled with gray strands. He wore it long and swept back; his mane terminated at the base of his skull. His nose was a great hawk-like bill that dominated the rest of his face. Beneath it, his chin came to an almost unnatural point, and was tipped by a goatee, which was almost completely red, despite his age.

His clothing was simple; he wore a white sleeveless t-shirt, which exposed the tattoos he bore on each of his upper arms. Beyond that, he wore only a pair of baggy breeches, secured at the ankle by strips of old cloth. His feet were propped up on a nearby chair. He had kicked his shoes off upon seating himself.

"Just call me Taka, kiddo," he said with a grin, raising a hand to wave at the miffed jounin. Armoring the hand was an odd gauntlet; It was painted white, and offered functionally no protection to the hand, aside from a thick plate on the back of the hand. Hinged, it attached to a bulky, hexagonal armguard that stretched almost all the way to the Sand jounin's elbow. The whole contraption was painted white, and the hourglass symbol of the Sand was etched in the side of the gauntlet. Taka wore another just like it on his other arm.

"Well, thank you for your attention. I hope that I'm not infringing on your conversation time," the jounin at the front of the room said sarcastically, flipping off the room's lights. Taka just laughed, his aged cackle bringing several other jounin to mirth. In the back of the room, a slide projector came on, and the symbol of Konoha was displayed proudly on a screen that had been previously pulled down. Someone in the back focused the projector for a minute, and then the man in front stepped forward again.

"All right," he said, looking down at his notes. "We've gone over the particulars of each of the tests. Now, since it's just about time to leave," he said, glancing up at the clock, "We're gonna look at the statistics of the candidates." In the back, someone pushed the forward button, and the pictures of six people were displayed in two lines. "We've got two teams taking the exam this time. We'll call them Team Haruno and Team Hyuuga."

"Why?" someone asked.

"Because we're lazy, and those were the two last names on each team that come first, alphabetically," the man at the front replied, and everybody shared a laugh. The slide projector advanced again, and Sakura's picture was displayed, alongside an octagonal graph. It was marked with a question mark. Below her picture were several sections, which detailed her known techniques.

"First off is Haruno Sakura. She's been a chuunin for two years, and does pretty well on her missions. She's a smart one," the man in the front read off. "The graph here is blank because we have some very badly conflicting data about her. On one hand, she seems to demonstrate a pretty remarkable level of skill in taijutsu. On the other, we've seen her performing very poorly at taijutsu, instead relying on powerful genjutsu and some ninjutsu to accomplish her missions. We're not sure what's going on, but be careful. As long as you don't get surprised, you shouldn't have too much trouble with her," he finished, looking up. "Slide," he said, and the machine advanced.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke," he announced as the named boy's picture appeared. The graph next to his name displayed highly in terms of speed and moderately in terms of ninjutsu, but poorly in almost all other areas. "He's not very good, I know, but I have orders from the top in regards to him. We're going to pass him, period. Apparently," he continued, looking down at his notes, "This boy has come into possession of a very powerful technique. Forbidden jutsu of the highest level." There was some derisive murmuring in the room, but it was quieted by the man's next statement. "We're not talking Scroll of Seals forbidden here, people, we're talking 'should have been destroyed generations ago' forbidden. We can not let him use it. If you see the kid pull out a cream-colored scroll, pass him on the spot."

"How bad can it be?" someone interjected, which was followed by sounds of general agreement from most of the assembled jounin.

"If he uses it, the Hokage herself is going to put him down. That bad," he replied flatly, silencing the disruption. The man noticed someone near the line of the projector's light, and sighed in exasperation. "Kakashi, put down the damn book," he demanded, and Kakashi barely spared the man an upwards glance.

"This first team are all former students of mine," Kakashi replied lazily, turning a page. "I know them better than anyone in this room, especially Sasuke." The man at the front sighed, but didn't fight Kakashi on the issue. He nodded to the man in the back, and the slide advanced.

"All right. Everybody in here knows Uzumaki Naruto," the man stated without preamble. Naruto's graph displayed very highly; his taijutsu statistics were fairly high up the graph, and his ninjutsu statistics were all at the highest displaying level. His genjutsu was considerably lower, however. "This kid is an absolute monster in a fight, and I'm not talking about Kyuubi, either. First of all, he's got more stamina than anyone in this room, bar none. His chakra reserves are through the roof too. Do not get into a war of attrition with this kid. You'll lose if you do. In terms of techniques, watch out. He doesn't have too many high level jutsus, but he's very good at those he does have. Watch for the Kage Bunshin and the Kuchiyose. With as much chakra as he has, he can summon anything from any of the three tribes he's allied with. Slide."

"Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga clan prodigy," the man introduced. Neji's graph showed great talent in taijutsu and ninjutsu. "He's mastered the Hyuuga clan taijutsu style, so watch out for seemingly harmless blows. Since then, he's been studying some of the more specialized Hyuuga clan techniques. We don't know exactly what he's got, so be ready for anything. He'll be a tough fight for anyone he gets matched up against. Any questions so far?" he asked, looking up. Nobody said anything, and the slide was advanced.

"Rock Lee," the man said with a sigh and a shake of the head. Lee's graph was the most unusual of all of the graphs; his showed only skill in taijutsu, but it was at its' highest possible level. "This kid… is nuts. He's got no ninjutsu or genjutsu at all."

"Then why's he taking the test?" Taka asked, his gauntlet obscuring the projection for a minute as he raised his hand.

"Because he's the best taijutsu practitioner we've ever had," the man replied, and a ripple of uneasy murmuring ran through the room. Regardless, he continued, "When Tsunade-sama performed an operation to fix the kid up a few years ago, she triggered something accidentally. Ever since, any training he does seems to pay off double for him. He's already broken every record the village has for speed trials, and he's getting damn close to breaking strength records too. Tsunade-sama's worried that she might have reduced his lifespan a bit by turning up the intensity with which his muscles grow, but we haven't seen any adverse side effects yet, so we've got no real reason to do anything. Anyway, he fights with dai-kunai on chains, and he can perform the Renge. Don't get into close combat with Lee. Just for standards of comparison, he beat Gai in a straight fight about four years ago. Since then, he's only gotten better. Slide."

"Iruka?" Asuma's voice exclaimed in surprise before the man could say anything. Several others also voiced their surprise.

"Yes, Umino Iruka. Unlike the rest of the random crazies we have taking the test, Iruka-san is pretty much your average chuunin," the man continued brusquely, annoyed at being interrupted before he could even start. Iruka's graph showed that he had fairly average skill in all of the varied areas of ranking. "He's not really remarkable in any way, but he does have much more experience than the rest of the candidates. He'll be a factor in the Assassination and Espionage sections. Just keep an eye out, and don't let yourself be surprised." The lights came up, and the projection was dimmed to near-invisibility. "Any questions? No? Good. Go rest up, guys. I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow morning." That said, the various jounin rose and made their way out of the room, either alone or in groups. A few left in pairs, and it was fairly obvious that some of those intended to take advantage of their off-duty night. Once everyone else had left, the foreign shinobi also took their leave, and were escorted to their quarters by a few waiting chuunin. The man who had done the presentation gathered his notes and put them in order, waiting for someone. After a few minutes, Tsunade entered the room.

"You have her information?" she asked simply, walking over to join him at the front of the room.

"Tsunade-sama! Yes, I do," he replied, dimming the lights again and moving to advance the slide projector. "I'm sorry it took so long, but she seems to be going by an alias now. Here we go," he said, advancing the picture. "Toru Masako, also known as Toru Michino, age twenty-six. Graduated from the academy at age eleven, passed the chuunin exams at thirteen, made jounin at sixteen. She went into the Anbu, where she excelled in high-risk single-person assassinations. There, she met Uchiha Itachi, and the two fell in love. Or lust. At seventeen, who knows?"

"Anyway, when Itachi murdered his family, she decided to leave with him. She's listed under her old name as a Class A criminal, not to be engaged in a one-on-one fight unless absolutely necessary. Nobody's seen or heard from her since she left Konoha," he finished.

"That's it?" Tsunade asked in surprise, turning to look at the bespectacled man.

"Well," he said nervously, diving for his records. "It says here that she was good at taijutsu and genjutsu, but these reports are nine years old. I didn't present them to you because they're inaccurate. Umm…" he trailed off, searching through his papers for more information. "The only other information we have about her is that her father was a Class A criminal as well. He left the village shortly after she was born and was never seen or heard from again."

"Odd," Tsunade mused to herself, mulling over that last bit of information. Then, she nodded to the man and left the room, her mind whirling. /What connection is there? This doesn't make sense,/ she wondered as she walked down the hallways and away from the room. /Something about this woman doesn't add up./

* * * * * *

/It's a beautiful morning,/ Sakura thought to herself, a smile on her face. /A beautiful morning to show everybody just what kind of person I've grown up to become./ It was almost seven o'clock in the morning, yet Sakura was already up and dressed, her hair held tightly in place by her forehead protector. Now, she was cinching her sword across the small of her back. It blended in well with her shirt-vest today; she was wearing the black one that Inner Sakura had purchased a week ago. It was an odd setup; the sheath was attached by loose metal bands to a long strip of cushioned metal, which was in turn held in place by the ties she was now tightening. It was almost like there was a sheath for the sheath.

/Let's kick some ass,/ Inner Sakura grinned, sending her waves of encouragement.

"For once," Sakura said aloud as she opened her window. "I agree with you completely." Silently, Sakura stepped through the window, then shut it behind her. That done, she leapt up to her roof, then off to a nearby house. Knowing that she had only half an hour until the jounin exams started, she made her way quickly towards the red bridge where team seven had once met every morning. Now, it was the site of the first section of the jounin exams. /They still haven't told me what they're testing,/ she mused as she pulled a granola bar from her supplies pouch. She ate the largely tasteless bar without complaint, knowing that the carbohydrates in it would help fuel her through whatever test she had to perform.

"Hey! Sakura!" Naruto's voice called out to her. Sakura barely had time to look around before the blonde eased in beside her as she made her building leaps. "'Morning!" he greeted her, a great grin on his face. He was outfitted for combat as well, his kunai pouch strapped to his thigh, and a shuriken pouch hanging from his belt. He was wearing his jacket open this morning, and Tsunade's pendant bounced against his black undershirt as he jumped from building to building.

"Good morning, Naruto. Have you eaten yet?" Sakura asked between jumps. She had a second bar if he needed it, but she had intended to save it for later, just in case.

"Only two cups of ramen!" he returned cheerfully, prompting laughter from Sakura.

"Good," she said as she vaulted over another building. After that, she was forced to return to the ground, since she had arrived at the area where the town turned into a forest, and the paved road turned into a dirt one. She could see, ahead of her, a large gathering of people. In the midst of them all, Tsunade stood, wearing her ceremonial vestments as Hokage.

"Looks like everybody's already there," Naruto noted, and Sakura nodded in reply. The two quickly made their way to join the group, even though they were still quite early.

"Naruto-kun, Sakura-san, good morning!" Lee declared, stepping out of the crowd. He was wearing his training weights today: heavy, segmented boots made out of the incredibly dense metal that his original weights had been made of. On each of his arms was an oversized reel, differing from a fishing reel only in size. Wrapped around each of these reels was a great length of chain. In his hands, Lee carried a pair of massive, three-and-a-half foot long kunai, attached to the chains on his wrist-reels by quick-release carabineers.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were taking the jounin exams?" Naruto asked, smacking Lee on the back in a familiar manner.

"I wanted to surprise you both!" Lee smiled, his far-too-white teeth reflecting the morning light in an almost painful intensity.

"Who are you taking the test with, Lee-san?" Sakura asked, stepping forward a bit. Tsunade seemed to have noticed their arrival, and was calling people to order. Much to her surprise, Sakura saw Kakashi among the early arrivals.

"Neji-kun and Iruka-sensei! We can't lose!" Lee declared confidently. Naruto looked back at Sakura in surprise. Her face reflected his own emotions.

"Well, since everybody seems to be here already, let's get started," Tsunade called from the front. Lee nodded to the two and ran forward to join his teammates in a line in front of Tsunade. Behind her was a table, burdened only by a long row of scrolls. Behind the table, almost all of the village's jounin were assembled in a long line. Naruto noted a couple that he knew were from other villages, but he didn't have the time to ask about them. He waited for Sakura to catch up to him.

"Iruka-sensei, Lee and Neji?" Naruto asked out of the corner of his mouth as he made his way forward to join Sasuke, where he was waiting impatiently.

"I know. It's like some sort of sick dream team," Sakura agreed. The two, however, had no more time for conversation, since they had arrived in position next to Sasuke.

"Welcome to the jounin exams. I am pleased to congratulate everybody on passing their first test," Tsunade announced proudly. Before a member of either team could ask, she continued, "The first test was to assemble a team for a series of missions of unknown duration and objective. Both teams have a particular emphasis in one area, but they are well-rounded, and should be capable of accomplishing any mission."

"Now we will begin the second test," Tsunade announced, stepping aside to more completely reveal the long table full of scrolls behind her. "For this test, each of you will act as though you were an Anbu member. Each of these scrolls contain the name and key information of one of the jounin you see behind me. Each of you will select a scroll, and announce that person's name. They will then be given a fifteen-minute head start, after which you will have to track them down and subdue them. You have until nightfall to accomplish this. You may work individually or in pairs for this test." Sakura glanced over at Naruto, who met her gaze. With a smile, they each nodded.

"Now, there is only one rule here: you may not kill the jounin that you are pursuing. If you do, you will be disqualified immediately. Your target will inform you when you have defeated them. They will do their best not to kill you, but it is ultimately up to each of you to surrender when you're outmatched, if it comes to that," Tsunade explained. "Also, it is not up to me to decide weather or not each of you are promoted. Only by a majority vote among the village's jounin is someone allowed to join their ranks. So work hard, good luck, and choose a scroll," she finished with a grin, sweeping her arm towards the line of unmarked scrolls. Neji and Iruka immediately stepped forward together.

"We'll need Iruka's experience later, if there are less… obvious missions later," Neji said by way of explanation as the two advanced to the table. Sakura and Naruto stepped forward too, but did not offer an explanation.

"In that case," Tsunade replied to the brown-haired boy. "One of you chooses a scroll. When you've beaten the first target, return here for the second scroll. You've still got to finish by nightfall. Also, wait until everyone has picked a scroll." Neji nodded, and Iruka picked a scroll.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked, worried that she would slow Naruto down.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto grinned, grabbing a scroll. Behind them, Lee and Sasuke were glaring at each other.

"Feh. I don't need him," Sasuke snorted dismissively, stepping forward. He snatched a scroll from the table and broke the seal, but didn't open it.

"I'll show you!" Lee declared, flashing a raised thumb behind the hilt of his massive kunai. He shoved it into the ground and retrieved a scroll for himself. "The Green Beast of Konoha will prove that he's the best!"

"Way to go, Lee-kun!" Gai shouted from his place in line. He flashed a thumbs-up to Lee, which Lee returned cheerfully.

"All right, everybody," Tsunade said, nodding towards a man with a stopwatch. He pressed a button. "Open your scrolls!" she announced.

"Maito Gai!" Lee shouted ecstatically.

"Behold the power of the flame of youth!" Gai returned with equal volume before leaping off into the treetops.

"Mitarashi Anko," Iruka announced. The trench coat-wearing woman nodded and vanished into the trees without a word, which was more than unusual for her.

"Hatake Kakashi," Sasuke announced dispassionately. Kakashi sighed from his place in line and took off down the trail, racing towards the monument. There was a bit of uncomfortable shuffling as he left. Some of the jounin looked at each other nervously. They all remembered his attitude from the briefing last night.

"Sorano Taka?" Naruto said, confused. A red-haired man stepped forward from the line and grinned at Naruto. Both Naruto and Sakura could see the Sand symbol on his hitai-ite.

"I'll see ya soon, kiddo. Let's see if you measure up to Gaara," he said with a grin, then leapt straight up. The wake of his departure made enough wind to roll several scrolls off of the table, and ruffled even Sakura's rather tight clothing. Naruto opened the scroll further and groaned when he saw his target's skill graph.

"Damn it, he's a speed specialist," he told his partner, and she groaned as well. Iruka was examining his scroll carefully as well. Naruto thought about walking over to talk to his old teacher, but decided against it for now. /I'll talk to him after the test is over,/ Naruto decided, turning back to the scroll. Sakura peered over his shoulder at it, reading off their target's known techniques in a soft voice.

"Kukan no Jutsu, Hayasa no Oto no Jutsu, Hiko no Jutsu… What are these?" Sakura wondered aloud, reading only the first three of Taka's listed jutsus. "I've never heard of any of them," she said, shaking her head.

"I don't like the sound of the Hayasa no Oto no Jutsu," Naruto agreed, rolling the scroll back up. To his left, he saw Sasuke discarding his scroll without looking at anything more than the name. /Dumbass,/ Naruto thought to himself, shaking his head.

"I know. 'Speed of Sound,' with a speed specialist? That's scary," Sakura said worriedly as Naruto turned to face her.

"Well, he's old, and this is our home turf. We'll kick his ass!" Naruto declared confidently, pumping his fist into the air. Sakura laughed at this, the tension of the moment dispelled.

"One minute!" the man with the stopwatch announced.

"Already?" Sakura exclaimed, surprised. Naruto grinned at her, and walked up to the place in line where Taka had been standing. The remaining jounin stepped back as Naruto considered the location. After a moment, Sakura joined him. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

"I didn't see that Taka guy use any jutsus before he left. That means that he has to be running, even though he jumped straight up," Naruto reasoned, pulling up his right sleeve. "Which means that I can track him."

Before Sakura could ask him what he meant, the man with the stopwatch shouted, "Go!" Sasuke immediately dashed down the main path, following Kakashi's trail directly. Lee too, took off directly after his old teacher. Even Iruka and Neji hurried into the forest, an action that Sakura had intended to take herself.

Naruto, on the other hand, immediately fished a scroll out of his supplies pouch with one hand and bit the thumb on his other hand hard enough for a bit of blood to squirt up. Naruto rolled the scroll open, and smeared a long line of blood across the lines of text. Sakura's eyes widened in understanding when she saw him whipping the bloodied scroll around in complex patters before rolling it back up. He performed a few quick hand seals before raising it up in one hand, then slamming it down into the ground hard enough to crack the hard-packed earth.

"Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and lines of characters erupted from the scroll, inscribing a circle around him. With an explosion of ninja smoke, a pack of six wolves appeared before them. They seemed completely normal, except for the way they calmly regarded Naruto and Sakura. That and, of course, the miniature blue kimonos that they wore, cinched around their waists by black strips of cloth. On each wolf's back was a circle of white cloth, upon which a black spiral was drawn. The pack leader, a bit larger than the other wolves, had his spiral drawn in red. Naruto patted the ground where Taka had stood.

"Five of you, find and distract this guy. You," Naruto commanded, pointing at the pack leader. "Lead us to him. Got it?" The wolves did not answer directly, instead crowding around the patch of earth that Naruto had indicated. After a moment, they howled together, and five of them jumped up and seemed to dive into the ground.

"What the…?" Sakura uttered, confused. The last wolf turned and sped into the forest, moving very quickly. Naruto and Sakura tore off after it, each of them struggling to keep up with the wolf's rather remarkable pace. "I thought that you had to have dogs to use that jutsu," Sakura shouted to Naruto over the noise created by the swishing branches they passed.

"A dog's just a wolf by another name," Naruto called back, and the two concentrated on keeping up with the wolf as best they could. Soon enough, they could hear the sounds of a scuffle. In a small clearing just ahead of them, Taka was doing his best to fight off a trio of wolves while one was already clamped onto his left hand and leg.

"Damnit!" he exclaimed in exasperation, his burdened taijutsu no match for the quickly dodging wolves. "Stupid mutts," he muttered, spreading his arms wide. "Was always a cat person myself."

"Kamaitachi!" Taka shouted, slamming his hands together. Naruto heard a sickening crunch as the skull of the wolf on Taka's left hand collapsed, but then it exploded into ninja smoke. The Kamaitachi blasted outwards, lacerating the wolves, which were unable to escape the huge area of effect of the jutsu. They too, having suffered lacerations all over their bodies, exploded into ninja smoke. Taka kicked the wolf on his left leg hard enough to force it to dispel. With a quiet growl, the pack leader vanished too, dispelling the jutsu.

"He did it without a fan," Sakura noted in a whispered tone, impressed. Naruto nodded solemnly, studying his opponent as Taka looked around the clearing. Sakura glanced over at Naruto; this was unusual for him. She couldn't remember the last time he was this quiet and focused.

Suddenly, a lancing pain drove through her skull from two points in the front: her pupils. Sakura gripped her head, biting her lower lip in a desperate effort to keep herself from crying out in pain. Naruto looked over at her in concern, wondering what was happening to her. The pain intensified, consuming the front of her head in its' entirety, but still focused mostly on her eyes.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Naruto asked in a hurried whisper, his hand lightly resting on her bent back. He could feel her whole body shiver with pain.

"I… don't… know…" Sakura replied, doing her best to keep her voice in a whisper. Then the pain intensified, and she arched her back. Sakura's mouth opened, and out of it issued an ear-wrenching scream of pain.

* * * * * *

Sasuke skidded out of the forest, stopping in the clearing in front of the monument of fallen ninja. Kakashi was calmly squatting next to it, running his hand over a name.

"You didn't go very far, Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke said, walking up behind his old teacher.

"I'm not supposed to," Kakashi replied, holding his hand over the name of his best friend, his head bowed. "I'm just supposed to pass you after pretending to fight you."

"What?" Sasuke exclaimed his eyes widening.

"You've got something you're not supposed to, it seems," Kakashi explained, standing up. He then turned to face Sasuke, a very serious expression on his face. "A scroll with a dangerous jutsu."

"How did you find out?" Sasuke asked, his hand slipping protectively into the pocket of his jacket, where that very scroll was resting. Kakashi noted this.

"You can't get much by Tsunade-sama," Kakashi smiled wanly, the motion barely noticeable through his facemask. Then his face hardened again, and he addressed Sasuke seriously again. "Don't use that thing, whatever it is. Earn your promotion the hard way," Kakashi told his old student. "You've got what it takes." Slowly, Sasuke withdrew his hand from his jacket, and Kakashi smiled.

"Fight me for real, Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke quietly said, his head bowed. It was almost a command, in the tone he used. Then he snapped his head up, his Sharingan eyes whirling. "Show me what you've really got!"

"I wouldn't dishonor either of us by doing anything less," Kakashi smiled, pulling up his headband to reveal his own Sharingan eye. Then, both of the combatants leapt away to the side, moving in opposite directions. Sasuke rebounded low off of a tree and shot upwards toward Kakashi, while Kakashi rebounded off of another and shot straight towards Sasuke. Each f them reared back and punched the other hard. Sasuke's blow landed from above on Kakashi's shoulder, sending the older ninja tumbling down, but Kakashi his Sasuke hard in the stomach, which sent the raven-haired boy tumbling into the upper trees. Evan as he tumbled, however, Sasuke was forming hand seals, then brought his right hand to his mouth.

"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, exhaling into his fingers. A great gout of flame burst downwards and engulfed the vast majority of the large clearing. Kakashi seemed to be within the radius of the blast, but Sasuke's Sharingan eyes saw Kakashi's hands moving. When the fire cleared and there were only the smoldering remains of a log, Sasuke was not surprised in the least. Not even the grass was singed. He landed lightly on a tree and jumped off, landing himself firmly on the ground underneath it.

"Very nice, Sasuke-kun. You're almost as fast as I am!" Kakashi complimented him, his voice seeming to call out from everywhere and nowhere at once. Sasuke recognized what Kakashi was doing, and calmed himself, while forming a quick hand seal.

Summoning both his chakra and the strength of his Sharingan eyes, he shouted, "Kai!" The world seemed to waver a bit, then dispelled. In its' place, Kakashi stood, performing hand seals quickly. The grass all around him was burnt badly, and even some of the trees at the edges of the clearing were smoldering. Sasuke dashed forward as fast as he could, forming quick hand seals along the way.

"You forgot the grass, sensei!" he called, finishing his seals. "Raimei Genkotsu!" Sasuke announced, his hands crackling with electricity. He punched Kakashi hard in the shoulder. His teacher absorbed the blow well, the flow of his hand seals uninterrupted. Then his body convulsed a bit as the Raimei Genkotsu discharged, and his hands missed the seal that they were about to make, ruining the jutsu.

"See what I mean?" Kakashi grinned, leaping away from Sasuke. Sasuke landed on the still-hot grass and leapt towards his mentor. /I've used up too much chakra,/ Sasuke thought worriedly as he flew towards his gray-haired mentor. /I can't keep this up for much longer. I've gotta bring him down quickly!/

"You're smart, and you can figure out a way to counter almost any move with the techniques that you have," Kakashi complimented him, leaping upwards. Sasuke landed where Kakashi had landed a moment ago and leapt up as well, chasing the gray-haired man as he talked. "You've got the best kind of power already, Sasuke. Between your friends and your skills, you can beat anyone," Kakashi finished, turning to face Sasuke and smiling, even while meeting the top of his jump's arc and beginning to descend. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise.

He thought of Naruto, grinning over him, a hand on either of his Honshitsu Bunshin clones. He thought of Sakura, on her knees and weeping after their last meeting. He'd walked away so casually, so coldly. He thought of all the times he'd pushed them away, rejected their pleas for friendship. Kakashi landed and waited for Sasuke to land as well, the Sharingan draining from his eyes and the Raimei Genkotsu fading from his fingers. The raven-haired boy landed heavily next to his mentor, and Kakashi put a comforting hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"You've already passed the important tests, Sasuke. I'll pass you on this one too. You earned it," Kakashi smiled at Sasuke, his facemask wrinkling around his mouth.

"You're wrong, sensei," Sasuke said quietly, his head bowed.

"What?" Kakashi asked, his smile vanishing. Sasuke suddenly reared back and punched his teacher hard in the face, sending the gray-haired shinobi stumbling backwards, then eventually falling to the ground. Kakashi worked quickly to get up, but Sasuke was already moving. With the hand that he hadn't punched with, he'd pulled out a small, cream-colored scroll, and flipped it into the air. While it hung suspended, he performed hand seals, and the world seemed to slow down.

"You're wrong, sensei. I wasted my friends and my strength," Sasuke explained calmly as the scroll reached its' apex. His eyes were narrow, and resigned. "You haven't seen me in too long. I'm not who I used to be."

"Sasuke, don't!" Kakashi shouted as he gathered himself to dive towards his student.

"This is the only way I'll ever be strong, now," Sasuke said, catching the scroll cleanly between his thumbs. Then, he continued to make hand seals, balancing the scroll over each one. /If I can't beat Kakashi for real,/ he thought as he finished the last hand seal, /I'll never be able to beat Naruto. If I can't beat Naruto… Then Itachi will kill me for sure./ His eyes closed for a moment, then they flared open.

(A/N: If you have "Need to be Strong" from the Naruto soundtrack, play it now.)

"Shijuukaigan Sharingan!" Sasuke shouted, and the world seemed to explode around him with color. He saw nothing but chakra, in the grass around him, in the rocks in the path that he'd used to come here, and in Kakashi's body as his former teacher jumped towards him. Then, something seemed to force itself into his mind, and everything changed. In the scroll, and beyond anyone's notice, the name 'Haruno Sakura' melted, reforming itself into 'Uchiha Sakura.'

/He's out to get me,/ Sasuke thought, panicked, as Kakashi flew towards him. /He wants to kill me, I'm sure if it!/ He dodged to the side as quickly as he could, and amazed even himself at the speed of his dodge. It seemed like Kakashi was moving in slow motion. The gray-haired jounin fell to the ground, skidding to a stop. His hands came together in front of his body, and Sasuke's eyes widened again. /He's going to use a jutsu. It's probably the Chidori! He's trying to kill me with the Chidori!/ Sasuke thought, his mind beyond all semblance of reason.

As fast as he could, he ran over to Kakashi's position and made a little jump, coming down hard in a crouch with his heels on Kakashi's fingers. Sasuke heard the crunch of breaking bones, and he couldn't help but smile at his accomplishment. /He can't kill me with broken fingers,/ Sasuke thought smugly, but his smile soon faded. /But his fingers will heal. Then he'll kill me when I'm not looking, when I'm not ready!/

"I won't let you kill me!" he shouted into Kakashi's face.

Kakashi did his best to keep from crying out pain from his broken fingers, but when he heard Sasuke's declaration, he couldn't help but exclaim, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't try to confuse me!" Sasuke shouted again, hopping off of Kakashi's fingers. He kicked the gray-haired jounin hard, in the chin. Kakashi's head snapped back hard, his jaw clacking shut hard. Sasuke kicked again, this time catching Kakashi in his freshly exposed chest. As he reeled back, Kakashi couldn't help but notice Sasuke's eyes. They glowed a malevolent red, and were surrounded by four Sharingan pupils, whirling around the center, true pupil of Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke's blow knocked Kakashi upwards a bit more, and Sasuke rushed in, delivering a witheringly powerful kick to Kakashi's chin, which sent the jounin flying into the air. Sasuke crouched for a moment, then followed Kakashi into the air, taking up a position behind the battered man.

"I won't let you kill me, ever!" Sasuke declared, his wild eyes wide. "I'll kill you to keep you from killing me!" With that, he kicked Kakashi on his left side. Kakashi, recognizing the jutsu, and the presence of mind to bring his arm up to guard, and readied his other arm to defend himself from Sasuke's next kick. Instead of rolling to the other side to kick, however, Sasuke hooked his foot around Kakashi's arm, then pulled hard. The gray-haired jounin was sent spinning by Sasuke's unexpected maneuver, and as he spun, he noticed that Sasuke had pulled a pair of kunai out of his holster. As Kakashi spun, Sasuke sliced his arms, legs, and torso along key points, cutting his most important muscles.

Then, with a grin, Sasuke flipped backwards, landing with both feet on Kakashi's chest from above. The jounin plummeted to the ground and landed hard. Then, the two kunai that Sasuke had been using thudded into each of his shoulders, the force of Sasuke's throw sending them through his chest and into the ground beneath him. As Kakashi watched, dazed, Sasuke clutched his right hand, chakra flowing into it.

"Chidori!" Sasuke shouted as he plummeted towards his teacher. He reared his hand back as he fell, crying, "Tatsu rendan!"

"But I didn't…" Kakashi managed to say before Sasuke buried his hand in his former teacher's throat. His hand went through cleanly, and buried itself into the ground beneath Kakashi, until he was up to his elbow in Kakashi's neck. Blood spurted out of the already dead jounin, splashing itself onto Sasuke's face and body. Slowly, the raven-haired boy pulled his hand from the corpse and stepped away.

A scream rang out through the trees, and Sasuke looked towards it. /Sakura,/ he thought, then his face darkened. /And with her is Naruto. He'll try to kill me too, if I don't stop him,/ Sasuke mused grimly. /I won't let him./

Paying no mind to the blood that coated most of his body, Sasuke made his way into the forest and in the direction that the scream came from. He did not use his full speed. /After all,/ he thought, /I have to fight Naruto at the end, and he's better than Kakashi-sensei was./

Behind him, the mutilated corpse of a jounin who had lived such a hard life stared sightlessly at the skies. Then, his mouth seemed to twist into a smile.

Like a whisper, the wind seemed to say, "Obito-san," but nobody was there to hear it.

*** Author's Notes ***

Wow… I just killed Kakashi… Waaaaaaaa. ::goes off into a corner and cries:: I'm sorry about that, guys, but there just wasn't any way around it. Anyway, another nine pages down, and another chapter in the bag. Finally, things get to where I've been leading for the whole fic, and they do so in a rather admittedly dramatic fashion. Again, I want to thank everyone who's reviewed the fic so far, and I'll do my best to keep to my weekly schedule here. I also want to give AdrianNiku a big shout-out for his emergency preread of this chapter when two of my prereaders went of vacation. Thank you! Wow… I'm gonna go rest for a while. ::Can be heard whimpering:: Kakashi… why?

A very, very sad,

~Flash ()

P.S.: Has anyone figured out the deal with Masako-san's name? I've had correct guesses on her first name, but nobody's given me a translation for her last name OR her connection! Keep going!

The Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Gotta Knock a Little Higher," by The Seatbelts, Cowboy Bebop OST. This song is more than a little sad, and is very fitting for my favorite masked ninja's last fight scene. If you disagree, just replace this suggestion with "Need to be Strong," of the Naruto OST. It fits as well.

Character Themes:

Kakashi: "Fukai Mori," Do As Infinity, Inu Yasha OST. This is a nice, wistful and happy song. It fits Kakashi, while being a bit sadder, considering his role in the fic.

New Jutsus:

Tatsu Rendan- Dragon Combo: This combo is used as a dramatically definitive way to kill one's opponent, without the hope that they will survive. First, the fingers of the target are crushed, to prevent them from using jutsu to escape. Then, they are kicked high in the air. After that, the user uses their foot to twist the target into a spin, allowing them to slash critical muscles all over the body with their kunai. Next, the target is knocked to the ground and pinned there by the user's kunai. Finally, the target is finished off by a charged Chidori to the throat, heart, or brain.

Translations:

Sorano Taka: "Hawk of the Sky," literally. When I named Taka-san, I decided to maintain the great Naruto tradition of pun names.

Kukan: "Void," literally.

Hayasa no Oto: "Speed of Sound," literally. Scary, huh?

Hiko: "Flight," literally. Even scarier, huh? Whee!

Tatsu: "Dragon," literally.

Rendan: "Combo," literally.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Eight: Marathon

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Naruto asked in a hurried whisper, his hand resting lightly on her bent back. He could feel her whole body shiver with pain.

"I… don't… know…" Sakura replied, doing her best to keep her voice in a whisper. Then the pain intensified, and she arched her back. Sakura's mouth opened, and out of it issued an ear-wrenching scream of pain. As her head snapped back, Naruto could see her green irises filling slowly with red, the bloodlike tide advancing in towards her pupil.

"There you are," a voice intruded upon the two. Naruto, acting on reflex, planted his hands on the ground and shoved himself upwards, sending his feet into the air. His right foot caught Taka's chin in a glancing blow, and the surprised jounin fell back a step. Naruto twisted in the air and landed lightly on his feet. Taka circled slowly to the left, and Naruto mimicked him. Behind them, Sakura's wails of pain burst again and again upon the two.

"Your friend there's hurting pretty bad," Taka commented, sparing a glance toward the bush that Sakura was still hiding behind.

"And the sooner I beat you, the sooner I can get her to Tsunade," Naruto returned seriously. Taka looked back at Naruto, only to find that his opponent's eyes had become blood red and slitted. "Sorry, buddy, but I gotta end this fast," Naruto growled, his voice having dropped an octave from Kyuubi's chakra. He charged, his feet tearing up little clumps of earth as he ran.

"Shit," Taka cursed, then leapt into the air. He flipped over as he jumped, gathered his legs underneath him as he found an overhanging tree branch, then sprung back down, his left arm extended. Naruto barely had time for his eyes to widen before Taka's armored gauntlet slammed into his chest. He was knocked to the ground hard, and Naruto could hear little cracking noises as his ribs shuddered under the incredible amount of force that Taka had hit him with.

/It's like getting hit by Tsunade,/ Naruto thought as Taka touched down and leapt back into the air. /He's using his speed and the weight of those gauntlets to give him more hitting strength than he would ever have on his own!/ Naruto rolled and pushed himself to his feet. His chest burned as Kyuubi's chakra snapped his bones back into place and healed them. Hearing the flexing of wood behind him, Naruto dove to his left, and barely managed to avoid getting hit again by Taka's gauntlets.

"Nice, kiddo!" Taka crowed as he leapt upwards again. "Wish I was back in the canyons of the Wind country. Hell of a lot quieter there!"

"But you're here!" Naruto returned, leaping up after him. Taka landed on a branch again, but leapt upwards again, instead of back at Naruto. The blond-haired boy slashed with his claw like hands, but only managed to shear off the tree branch that Taka had used. Naruto landed with his feet on the tree and ran straight up it, pulling a pair of kunai from his pouch. Behind him, bark crumbled off of the tree at his passing, but Naruto was running too quickly for it to stop him. When Taka touched down above him, Naruto slung a kunai at the red-haired man as hard as he could. The kunai flew true, and slashed through Taka's right bicep, then embedded itself in the tree trunk. Taka just grinned and leapt down towards Naruto.

"Game over, kiddo. Uchi-kudaku Ude Toppu," he grinned, catching Naruto full in the chest with his gauntlet. Naruto, instead of squirming away, reached out and clutched Taka to himself. "What?" Taka exclaimed, then the two of them slammed into the ground. Dust shot into the air, and chunks of earth were sent flying from the point of impact. As it cleared, Taka forced himself to his feet and stumbled away.

"Damn fool brat," he muttered as he rested against a tree. "If he woulda at least tried to get away, that wouldn't have killed him." Taka noticed that the pink-haired girl's screams had been reduced to pained moans.

"Who says that I'm dead?" Naruto's Kyuubi-altered voice growled. Taka turned in surprise to see Naruto standing, hunched over, glaring at him. With an audible snap, his obviously broken left arm straightened, and Naruto flexed it. This process continued with the other major bones in Naruto's body that had been broken in the impact. "They don't call me the number one toughest ninja in Konoha for nothing," the blond-haired boy grinned, standing up straight.

"Damn, kid. You're something else," Taka marveled, shaking his head. Wearily, he pushed away from the tree and fell into a fighting stance, surrendering the offensive to Naruto.

"You are too, old man," Naruto returned with a grin. "I wish that we could fight for longer, but Sakura needs help." /That and the fact that I've wasted way too much chakra healing myself from his attacks. I've gotta end this fight now,/ Naruto thought grimly, glaring at the man. /The Hisan na Saigo Ha'll do it,/ he decided, his jaw set. Taka took note of his words and leapt away from the blond-haired boy.

* * * * * *

Sakura sat up slowly, clutching her head. The world seemed to spin around her, but it settled down quickly enough. Her hand, as it held the front of her head, seemed to glow with a soft blue light, which hovered over and moved with her hand.

"What happened to me?" she wondered aloud, then moaned loudly as a wave of nauseous pain washed over her. Dust seemed to swirl around her for a minute, and Sakura remembered that she had heard a great crash just a few moments ago. She forced away her nausea and turned to look in the direction of the noise.

She saw Taka, leaning on a tree and panting heavily. He was surrounded by a soft blue glow, but it was more intense than the glow in her own hands by far. Then she saw Naruto, and had to double-check that he wasn't engulfed in some kind of wildfire. Washing out from his body in waves was an incredible glow; it fully engulfed his half of the clearing. In the middle of it, Naruto was slowly standing up straight, accompanied by several loud cracking and popping noises. Sakura winced with each, barely able to contain her horror.

"Damn, kid. You're something else," the red-haired man marveled from his position across the clearing. He pushed himself away from his tree, and the blue glow around him flared, then concentrated around his arms and legs.

"You are too, old man," Naruto returned as the incredible red radiance around him died down somewhat. "I wish that we could fight for longer, but Sakura needs help," he finished, and Sakura could just imagine the grin that was on his face. She tried to call out to Naruto, but a wave of pain engulfed her as she was about to speak, and Sakura could only clutch her head and moan. When she looked up again, Taka had leapt away, and Naruto was following him on the ground.

"This is it, kiddo. I haven't had to use this move in a long time," Taka grinned from his position on top of one of the trees. Naruto, now quite some distance away from Sakura, stopped and stared up at Taka, standing at the ready. Taka made several hand seals quickly, but he was too far away from Sakura for her to see anything more distinct than moving hands.

"Bring me down, and take the next step towards becoming a jounin!" Taka grinned, his goatee pulled as his face produced a devilish grin. "Hayasa no Oto no Jutsu!" he declared, and Sakura saw a little pocket of blue glow leap away from his body. It formed into a needle-like shape around Taka, then the man leapt off of the branch and down towards Naruto. He was moving incredibly fast, and Sakura could barely keep up with his movement. Only because of the blue pocket around him could Sakura keep track of Taka's movements. He landed and hit Naruto hard, leapt to a nearby tree, and hit him again before Naruto could react.

Suddenly, Sakura realized that Naruto had been tricked; he was standing in between three trees, which formed a triangle around him. /Taka can hit him, rebound off of one of the nearby trees, and strike again before Naruto can even react!/ Sakura thought with widening eyes. /I've gotta help him!/ Quickly, she formed a few hand seals of her own, while concentrating on Taka.

"Chui na Me no Jutsu," she said, hoping that it would be enough to allow Naruto to make his move.

* * * * * *

Taka grinned as he rebounded off of the first tree in the little triangle that he'd found. He believed that anyone who wanted to be a Jounin had to earn it, and he wasn't about to pull any punches, considering who this kid was.

/Gaara's equal, the infamous nine-tails-fox kid,/ he grinned to himself as he slammed his gauntlet into Naruto's back. /He's something else./ When he didn't hear the sounds of snapping bone, Taka winced. /The Hayasa no Oto lets me move more quickly, but I just don't have as much acceleration room here,/ he thought grimly as he rebounded again, this time streaking towards Naruto's side. His lungs were burning, but he didn't dare release the breath that he held. /That's the strength and weakness of this skill,/ he thought, his arm slamming into Naruto's kidney. /It removes the air from around my body, so I've got no wind resistance whatsoever. On the other hand, I can't breathe, so I've gotta finish this quickly./

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Taka saw the pink-haired girl diving towards him, a kunai in hand. Her eyes were wild, intent on injuring him. The red-haired man twisted in midair, avoiding her knife but missing his own strike. Then he saw another pink-haired girl flying at him, kunai raised for an overhand blow. Taka's lungs were burning now; he had no choice but to release his jutsu. He gulped in air, and dodged her strike, leaping up into the trees again.

"Kage Bunshin?" he wondered aloud as he dodged another strike from another girl, which seemed to come out of nowhere. She was so fast too, almost as fast as he was. /Wait a minute,/ he wondered, glancing down at Naruto. The boy had recovered, and was performing hand steals at an alarming rate. Again, out of the corner of his eye, Taka saw another pink-haired girl diving towards him, her kunai ready to disembowel him. Instead of dodging this time, however, Taka interposed his gauntlet between them, to block. The girl passed right through his gauntlet, and right through his body as well.

"Damn! Genjutsu!" he cursed, catching a tree branch and rebounding back towards Naruto. He saw several more of the pink-haired girls flying towards him from his perceived weak points, but he was focused on Naruto now. The boy had been performing far too many hand seals; if he wasn't stopped soon…

"Game over, old man," Naruto grinned up at Taka, his eyes flashing. For a moment, Taka thought he could see an intense red aura of chakra surrounding the kid, but then Naruto hunched down. "Katon: Hisan na Saigo Ha no Jutsu!" he shouted, and a little bubble of red chakra surrounded his body. It swelled slowly for a second, then exploded away from his body. In the instant before it reached him, Taka could see that the wave was being pushed away from Naruto by an intense flow of red chakra, greater than anything that he'd ever seen before. Then the wave hit him, and his entire world was pain. He felt like he was burning all over, and being crushed from every direction. Around him, trees were blasted from roots that had held them in place for a hundred years, flung away as if they were no more than matchsticks. Leaves were torn from those that would not move, and incinerated around them, ignited by the sheer heat of the technique.

Then it was over, and Taka was tumbling, end over end in the air. He was dazed, and couldn't even remember which way was up. Beneath him, the clearing had been widened to a remarkable degree. Trees were downed everywhere, singe marks covering their boles. Finally, as he tumbled downwards like a rag doll, Taka realized that there was nothing left for him to catch, or even jump off of. He was plummeting towards the ground at a lethal rate. /Damn,/ he cursed inwardly, pulling his hands in to form seals. /Gotta use Hiko no Jutsu./ Just before he struck the ground, he managed to finish the last seal and pull up barely enough chakra to make the extremely difficult jutsu work.

"Hiko no Jutsu!" he announced, and wind buffeted him from underneath. It slowed his fall, and stopped him mere inches above the ground. There, he hovered unsteadily for a moment. Then something jumped on his back, and there was a kunai at his throat.

"I win," Naruto announced as his weight pushed them both to the ground. The blond-haired boy was breathing hard, as was his opponent.

"Fine, fine. Just get the hell off of me!" Taka squirmed underneath the boy's weight. Naruto complied, and the elder man stood, brushing himself off. "That was amazing," Taka wondered aloud as he looked around the now-enlarged clearing. Naruto merely nodded, still trying to catch his own breath. "How'd you know I wasn't gonna die from the fall?" Taka asked, casting a raised eyebrow at Naruto. The boy's eyes were blue now, and his fingernails were no longer claws.

"Your bio said that you had a technique called Hiko no Jutsu," Naruto explained, standing up straight and putting his kunai away. "Plus, you're a jounin. People like that don't die so easily." Taka chucked at the boy; unlike Gaara, this boy was happy and cheerful. The difference between the two was remarkable, really.

"You compared me to Gaara earlier," Naruto said suddenly, looking towards the old man. "Why? Nobody's done that in years." Taka ruffled his own hair a bit, before replying with a half-grin.

"You two are the same. At least, that's what most people say," Taka finally said, walking slowly towards the pink-haired girl's position. Now that he knew that she had been performing genjutsu, he was fairly certain that she'd stayed where she had been earlier. Naruto looked down at the ground, a sad expression on his face. "It's not true, though," Taka continued, weaving his fingers together behind his head. "I mean, sure, in that way, but you're different in every other way. You live you life, kid. Gaara mourns his. You might as well be night and day." Naruto looked up in surprise and stared at the red-haired jounin for a moment.

"Thanks," Naruto said quietly, blushing just a bit.

"Don't worry about it," Taka replied, looking over at Naruto. He placed a gauntleted hand on Naruto's shoulder and stopped, turning Naruto to face him. "When this is all over, do me a favor, okay?"

"Sure," Naruto nodded, surprised. "What is it?" he asked.

"Go teach my nephew how to live. You're the only one that ever reached him through that sand," Taka said solemnly, his face for once looking every one of his sixty plus years. "He thinks that he's lost everything, and even his brother and sister can't get through to him anymore."

"You're Gaara's…" Naruto trailed off, surprised.

"His mother's brother," Taka said, a wan smile on his face. "His father wouldn't let me see him when he was young. Nowadays…" Taka shook his head. "He barely knows me, and wouldn't listen if I tried to talk to him."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, his voice quiet. He could feel the older man's sadness. "Right! I'll do it!" he grinned, putting a thumbs-up between them. /Shoulda guessed from the hair,/ Naruto thought to himself sheepishly, as he lowered his thumb and scratched the back of his head.

* * * * * *

Sasuke glanced around warily as he settled into position, crouching into the crook of a tree branch. Naruto was fighting some red-haired man surrounded by a good amount of blue chakra. /Actually,/ Sasuke thought with a grin, /the red-haired guy's beating the crap out of him. If I get lucky, someone else will kill him before he even gets a chance to try for my life./ Then, Sasuke's face darkened. /But then the red-haired man would come after me. I'll have to kill them both./ Sasuke marveled for a minute at the fact that, though the fourth pupil of his Shijuukaigan Sharingan had faded away, his normal Sharingan was still active. Actually, he'd found that he couldn't turn it off anymore. /Not that that's a problem,/ he thought with a grin.

Then, his attention was recaptured by the fighting duo. Apparently, Naruto had managed to escape the red-haired man's attacks for a moment. Then, Sasuke's eyes widened as a wave of annihilation burst away from Naruto. He watched in awe as trees were ripped from their roots, and the earth was scoured to its' base. Then it was over, and he found himself hiding in a tree without leaves. He moved a few more trees away from the new clearing to give himself more cover.

A flash of pink caught his eye, and Sasuke turned to look more closely. There was Sakura, kneeling behind a tree as Naruto finished off his opponent. /She's the only one I can trust,/ he thought for a moment, but then she stood up and moved to join Naruto in the clearing.

"I knew it," Sasuke growled, his eyes narrowing. /He's made her his bitch,/ he thought angrily, his ire rising. /Always taking away what's mine. I'll kill him in front of her eyes, then I'll kill her for betraying me!/ he decided, then leapt down to the ground. Sakura heard him, but he was too fast for her. Sasuke grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the clearing, then thrust her to the ground. She screamed, tumbling once, then catching her feet underneath her. Her eyes were Sharingan red, and the lone orbiting pupil around them whirled rapidly, a sign of her fear.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" she asked as she rose, her voice betraying her fear. "What's happened to you?" she asked, stepping backwards slowly. Sasuke suddenly remembered that he was still covered in Kakashi's blood, and brought his blood covered right arm up slowly.

"Kakashi tried to kill me," he grinned, his smile a death's head grin. "So I killed him first." Sakura fell backwards with a horrified expression on her face. Her jaw shook, and her eyes were wide.

"You fucking bastard!" Naruto shouted, running towards Sasuke. "How could you?" he demanded, stopping a few feet away from the raven-haired boy.

"He tried to kill me," Sasuke repeated, focusing on Naruto. The red-haired man was still alive, but was staying back. From his chakra, Sasuke could tell that he was exhausted, and presented no real danger. /For now,/ Sasuke thought. /I'll still have to kill him, or he'll get better and come after me./ Suddenly, Sasuke rushed forward, his grin twisting into a look of horrid determination.

"And so are you!" he shouted, slamming his fist into Naruto's face. Naruto flew back, rolled once, and pushed himself to his feet. Sasuke had already drawn a kunai, and was charging towards the defenseless boy. Viciously, Sasuke slashed Naruto's gut, aiming to disembowel the boy. There was an explosion of ninja smoke, and Sasuke found his kunai embedded in a log. He abandoned it, drawing another, and spun around just in time to get punched in the gut by Naruto. Sasuke kept his footing, despite Naruto's strength, and jumped away from the fist. He circled wide around Naruto, using his newfound speed to his advantage.

/He's so much faster than he was,/ Naruto thought to himself, barely able to keep his eyes on the incredibly fast boy. Suddenly, Sasuke charged in, and Naruto leapt upwards. He barely cleared Sasuke's head, and the raven-haired boy circled around and dashed in again. After he landed, Naruto frantically dove left, barely avoiding a slash that would have sliced his throat open. /There's no way I can keep up with him alone. Even with Kyuubi's help, he'd be faster,/ Naruto thought as he dodged another running slash. /He's almost as fast as Taka!/

Again, Sasuke charged, but this time he threw shuriken as he advanced, trying to keep Naruto within the path of his kunai. Naruto had no choice but to ready himself for Sasuke's inevitable charge. Trusting his nerves, he suddenly performed a vicious chin kick. Sasuke was caught by it, and he flew up and away from Naruto for a moment, his momentum reversed by the force of Naruto's kick. Then, Naruto felt pressure on his foot. Sasuke had planted his feet on Naruto's, and used it as a springboard to regain control of his flight. He flipped backwards and flung a kunai through Naruto's right hand. Naruto cried out as he stood, then shook his hand hard. The kunai spun out of his wound, and the two boys faced each other warily once again.

/I can't use the Hisan na Saigo Ha,/ Naruto thought with a glance to Sakura and Taka. /They'll get caught up in it too./

/He's stuck,/ Sasuke thought with a grin. /He can't use his blasting technique because he's afraid of killing those two rats./ Then his eyes widened as Naruto's hands came up to perform a jutsu. His chakra flared, and the red of Kyuubi's chakra poured out of the boy. Sasuke found himself a split second too late to copy Naruto's jutsu as he was performing it, but his Sharingan eyes caught Naruto's hand seals.

"Honshitsu Bunshin!" Naruto shouted, and was surrounded by a great explosion of ninja smoke. Slowly, the wind blew it away to reveal five clones, standing in a pentagon around Naruo's fallen form.

/He must've passed out from the jutsu,/ Sasuke thought; his eyes could barely see any chakra around Naruto's body. Then the clones charged, and Sasuke fell back, defending himself. When he had seen Naruto's Honshitsu Bunshin the first time, Naruto had toyed with him. Now, the clones were fighting at full strength, and an obvious determination to save their creator.

The first clone dove at Sasuke, and the raven-haired boy vaulted over it, planting his hands on its back and kicking his legs out to either side. He managed to clip a clone with his left leg, but the one charging in on him from his right managed to duck its shoulder a bit. Then, using the spinning momentum that it had gained, it smashed its left fist into Sasuke's face. The raven-haired boy fell backwards onto the back of the very clone that he had vaulted. He rolled, coming forward and grabbed the clone by the lapels on its jacket. Sasuke continued his forward momentum and rolled onto the ground. He then planted a foot in the clone's stomach and kicked hard, even as he pulled the clone in his roll. The clone was sent flying, and Sasuke rolled to his feet, just in time to get kicked in the stomach by a fourth clone. Sasuke staggered back, having lost his breath.

A fifth clone charged at him from behind and smashed him hard in the back of the head, shouting, "U!" Another found his right side, and slammed its fist into Sasuke's neck, missing his cheek by inches. The impact was accompanied by a cry of, "Zu!" Then Sasuke's momentum was reversed by the third clone, which hit his face squarely, shouting, "Ma!" Then, as Sasuke knew was coming by this point, a fourth clone kicked him hard, in the underside of the chin. His cry of, "Ki!" rang clearly through the clearing.

Sasuke was floating for a moment in the air, but his face hurt all over, and badly. /They're stronger than they were before,/ Sasuke thought frantically. /He must really be trying to kill me now!/ Then, the clone that he had thrown earlier was behind him, and kicked Sasuke hard, sending him downwards.

"Naruto Rendan!" the clone shouted, following its kick with a vicious punch. Sasuke fell to the ground hard, crashing in the midst of the clones. They did not attack as he slowly stood. Blood streamed from a cut in Sasuke's brow, and he was bruised all over. The clones surrounded him and just stared at him, seeming to taunt Sasuke with their superior numbers.

"Why'd ya do it?" one of them asked, and Sasuke realized that it was actually crying. "You meant everything to Kakashi-sensei."

"Yeah," another agreed, stepping forward. This one too, was beginning to tear up, but it wiped its arm across its face. "Just… Just… How could you?" it demanded, then punched Sasuke hard. The raven-haired boy tumbled backwards and rolled a couple of times before he stopped. The clones did not pursue him. The four of them just stood there, staring at him in grieving judgment. The fifth, removed from the group by virtue of his airborne role in the combo, made no move to join his comrades or advance on Sasuke.

Slowly, Sasuke pushed himself to his feet, using only his left hand. /They'll kill me if they attack again,/ Sasuke worried, looking at the group, icy fear flowing through his veins. /There's only one way. Enlightenment./ Slowly, he pulled the small, cream-colored scroll from his jacket. Bits of blood were now spattered on its outside, and his blood-soaked right hand coated one side of the scroll with red blood. Summoning his remaining strength, Sasuke tossed it upwards and began to perform hand seals.

"Shit!" one of the clones cried, bursting forward into a run. "Get him!" it shouted, and the others broke into a charge as well. Their advance only steeled Sasuke's nerves, and his eyes narrowed.

"I'll kill you!" Sasuke shouted, his eyes wild. He caught the scroll easily, and his hands flew flawlessly and quickly together to form the hand seals required for his jutsu. The clones hadn't even covered half of the distance between them when he finished.

"Shijuukaigan Sharingan!" Sasuke shouted, and again the physical world faded from view. There was again only chakra before his eyes, and power flowed through Sasuke's veins like fire. His arms and legs firmed up for the second time that day as the Shijuukaigan Sharingan pushed him closer to his true potential. Most of all, however, his brain seemed to burn, as old memories were purged and new thoughts were forced in. Sasuke barely noticed; he had nothing that he cared to hold on to.

/Victims,/ he grinned viciously, eyeing the five approaching clones. /Killing them won't be as satisfying as the real thing, but there's three prizes at the end,/ Sasuke decided, marking Sakura, Naruto, and Taka. /Damn,/ he remembered. /Only two. The bitch has to live, for now./ The pink-haired girl herself was on the ground, clutching her head as she rolled around in agony.

Sasuke blurred into motion, easily dodging the first clone's attack. Almost dismissively, the raven-haired boy plucked a kunai from the clone's holster, then thrust the sharp dagger through the base of its neck from behind, severing the spinal cord. It hung in the air for a moment, a comically surprised look on its face, then exploded into a puff of smoke, the kunai taken with it. The other clones slowed to a stop and spread out warily. Sasuke could just imagine what they were thinking, and he grinned viciously.

"You were so confident before," Sasuke taunted them, his eyes wide open and wild. "Where'd it all go? Is the little clone squad rethinking its plan?" The clones didn't respond, other than to arm themselves. Sasuke grinned mockingly at them, allowing the clones their preparations. /It's all so clear now,/ he thought as he eyed the four combatants. /I'm no avenger. I'm a purger. I exist in this world to bring it to an end. What a glorious destiny./ One of the clones snapped a branch on a fallen tree, and the action brought Sasuke back to the present.

"Mmmmmm," he sighed happily, eyeing his targets. "Time for the killing to start." He held out his arms, and they crackled with his new chakra. Soon, the chakra coalesced into a Chidori, the unique chittering sound shattering the false peacefulness that had fallen on the clearing. Then, a second Chidori formed in his other palm, and one of the clones cursed.

"Shit," it muttered, eyeing Sasuke nervously.

"I didn't know that he had that much chakra," another agreed, drawing a second kunai. Sasuke grinned wildly for a moment, then charged forward at a blinding speed.

Behind him, a clone shouted, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," but Sasuke paid it no mind. Armed with his newfound speed, the first clone that he targeted didn't even have a chance to dodge. It was pierced through the middle of the chest by Sasuke's right arm. A look of pained failure crossed its face before it exploded into nothingness. Sasuke charged out of the smoke of its demise towards a second clone, which had the misfortune of standing next to its comrade. This one managed to dodge left, then right as Sasuke tried to stab it with his remaining Chidori. A fallen tree behind it, however, did the clone in when it tripped. Sasuke rammed his arm through the clone's head and into the tree that it had fallen on. He stood up slowly, grinning to himself in satisfaction.

Suddenly, a hail of shuriken filled the air, and Sasuke found himself on the defensive. The first Honshitsu Bunshin clone had divided itself into a host of Kage Bunshin clones, and the dozens of copies were filling the air around Sasuke with shuriken so thickly that, despite his incredible speed, Sasuke found himself being struck several times by the sharpened metal stars. Eventually, the hail slowed enough for Sasuke to escape. His Sharingan eyes searched the crowd and located the one Honshitsu Bunshin clone among the horde. With a grin of bloodthirstiness, Sasuke charged into the shocked crowd and disemboweled the Honshitsu Bunshin clone. The area all around him exploded in a great shroud of ninja smoke as the Kage Bunshin were dispelled by the Honshitsu Bunshin's passing. The shuriken that had embedded themselves into Sasuke vanished as well, and Sasuke winced anew in pain.

/Damn it,/ he thought, his jaw clenched at the sheer number of wounds that now dotted his body. /I'll bleed out if I don't do something quickly./ About fifty feet away from him, the last Honshitsu Bunshin clone stood nervously. It clutched a kunai in each hand and watched Sasuke nervously as the smoke cleared around him.

"Looks like it's time for you to die, fox-boy," Sasuke grinned, rubbing the fingers of his right hand together. Kakashi's blood was still wet, and he enjoyed the texture of it on his hands.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the clone asked, its voice betraying its surprise and fear. /Yes,/ Sasuke smiled as he thought. /It's fear. Naruto fears me; finally, things have come full circle./

"Nothing is wrong," Sasuke said, stepping forward. "For the first time in my life, everything is right, Naruto. Everything." Another step forward. Another. Another.

"You used to be a good person," Naruto accused, his eyes narrowing. Sasuke felt a moment of regret as Naruto's fear vanished into determination. "Now look at you. You're just like your brother."

"I'm nothing like him!" Sasuke roared, drawing a kunai. "Nothing at all. I'll prove it when he gets here!"

"What?" Naruto wondered aloud, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion.

"Itachi is coming back," Sasuke grinned, his anger vanished like a springtime shower. "And he's coming for me this time. Not you, me. And I'll kill him this time." Sasuke noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sakura was climbing to her feet, albeit woozily. Her eyes glowed oddly to Sasuke, but then he remembered why they would glow.

"And Sakura will be mine afterwards," Sasuke declared, readying himself to charge forward. He heard Sakura gasp in surprise, and Naruto's eyes narrowed in anger. "I'll raze this town to the ground, and I'll paint the ashes with the blood of its former inhabitants. Then I'll take the bitch," he said coldly, motioning to Sakura, "and I'll keep killing and killing until there are only the two of us left."

"You're right," Naruto's clone growled after a minute, its shock abating quickly. "You're nothing like your brother. You make him look like a fucking saint."

"Shut up!" Sasuke roared, dashing forward. The clone tried to dodge, but Sasuke's rage-enhanced speed proved to be too much for it. Sasuke buried his kunai into the clone's stomach, and grinned savagely as its body squirmed, trying to maintain cohesion.

"I'll leave the real you alive until the very end," Sasuke decided, breathing heavily into the clone's face. "You love this village so much; I can't imagine a sweeter torture than to force you watch as I kill every single person that lives in it."

"I'll kill you… you bastard," the clone managed, gasping in pain. Sasuke broke out in laughter and twisted his kunai viciously. The clone exploded into ninja smoke, its chakra spent.

"Keep dreaming," Sasuke addressed the smoke even as he moved out of it. He saw Sakura cowering next to Naruto's body at his presence. He blew her a mocking kiss, then moved determinedly towards the red-haired man. /Che,/ he thought disappointedly. /Only one prize here, I suppose./

"What are you?" the old man asked, sliding into a fighting stance.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he replied smoothly, lazily spinning the kunai that he had used to dispatch Naruto's last clone.

"You're a monster," the man accused, then charged at Sasuke. He tried to clothesline the younger ninja with his massive right gauntlet, but Sasuke ducked easily. As the red-haired man passed, Sasuke could hear his heavy breathing. /He's tired. This won't even be fun,/ Sasuke thought, his manic grin turning into a scowl. /If he can't fight, it's not worth drawing it out,/ he decided after a moment's consideration. When the old man charged forward again, Sasuke allowed himself to be clipped by the gauntlet. He used the proximity that this allowed him to bury his kunai in the man's throat. He stumbled forward a few paces, clutching at the dagger buried inside of him. He fell to his knees, then onto his face. Blood the color of his hair poured out of his throat.

"Che. That wasn't even fun," Sasuke snorted, walking over to the still-warm corpse. As he was about to leave, he looked again at the heavy gauntlets on the red-haired man's arms. Bending over, he tugged one off and slid it onto his own arm.

"Perfect fit," he grinned, and reached down to retrieve the other. Evidently, Sakura had found her voice behind him.

"God, Sasuke," she cried, her usually clear voice ruined by sobbing. "Why? You didn't need to. We would have taken you back!" Sasuke turned, still pulling the second gauntlet on, and looked at her. "Even after you killed Kakashi-sensei. All you had to do was ask!"

"Haven't you learned by now?" Sasuke asked, grinning. He walked over to her slowly, and Sakura's sobbing turned into terror at the sight of the advancing blood-covered avatar of death before her. He bent over her, and the fetid smell of drying blood and Sasuke's breath washed over Sakura. Somehow, she couldn't pull together the force of will to draw a kunai and attack the raven-haired boy.

"I don't need anyone," Sasuke declared quietly, grabbing her chin. He pulled her in forcefully and kissed her hard. Sakura squirmed and tried to pull away, but his grip was iron. Then, Sasuke released her and ran into the forest, laughing like a maniac.

"I'll see you later, Sakura-chan," Sasuke's voice echoed back at her, his tone a twisted mockery of the cheerful childhood nickname that Naruto had bestowed upon her. Sakura collapsed over Naruto's unconscious body and tried her best to forget the horrible memory of Sasuke's kiss. Underneath her eyelids, her Sharingan eyes whirled slowly, in silent mockery of her foolishness.

*** Author's Notes ***

Another chapter down, another dead at the hands of the newest member of the Homicidal Maniacs club. I hope you guys liked this chapter- if there's too much fighting in it, I'm sorry. On the other hand, I'd have to ask… why are you reading Naruto, then? Hrmmm… what else? Oh, yeah! Thanks, everyone, for your reviews. If you want, I could hold a Kakashi fanboy and fangirl séance for all of you who wrote to me in tears at the tragic demise of everybody's favorite gray-haired jounin. At least he's got a traveling companion on the road to heaven now…

As some of you have guessed, Taka is, to a great extent, an author self-insert. But now he's dead. So there. No over-powered "I win cuz I'm the author's pet character" characters for me. Realistically, I needed for Sasuke to get those gauntlets, so I just decided to have some fun with the character that evolved around the damn things. Some people have commented that this fic is getting dark. I'd have to respond by saying… yeah. That's what happens when one of the main characters decides to embark on a killing spree. Creates great tension, though.

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone out there who's been playing prereader for me. The group seems to rotate randomly, so I'm not gonna name any names here anymore. Also, I was wondering if anyone actually cares about the "Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist" section and the "Character Themes" section. If you do, write in to me, but otherwise, I'm thinking about just dropping them. If there's any interest at all out there, the music will continue to flow!

And, finally, now THREE chapters after I issued the challenge, STILL nobody has figured out the whole setup behind Masako's name. Thus, I will repeat all of the clues about her that I have scattered around the fic. Let's see if anyone can figure things out now…

Clue 1.) Masako's full name is Toru Masako.

Clue 2.) Masako's REAL name is Toru Michino (and yes, this IS the improper word order in Japanese if you manage to translate both parts of her name)

Clue 3.) Masako claims to be Itachi's partner.

Clue 4.) Masako was present, though not an active participant in the Uchiha clan massacre.

Clue 5.) Masako apparently had, or has, a relationship with Itachi.

Let's see if I can't get a winner when I lay things out for you like that. And now, I'm gonna add a prize in! If someone manages to get the correct answer before I reveal it, I will make YOU a Konoha Jounin in THIS fanfic. You will get to help design your own original moves, and I'll let you fight against the Naruto character of YOUR CHOICE (So long as you choose Naruto, Sakura, Lee, Sasuke, Neji, or Iruka). ONLY the first person who writes in to me will win this award, so get cracking!

Have fun!

~Flash ()

The Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Distortions from Dark Matter," by Jonathon Striker. This is a GREAT remix of Magus's theme from Chrono Trigger. It is an ABSOLUTE MUST-PLAY while reading any of the more intense fight scenes in this fic (Read: This Whole Chapter). Find it at ().

Character Themes:

Sorano Taka: "Dr. Stuard," by Jeff n Toad Air Team Challengers. This is a very high-quality remix of a F-Zero GX song. I enjoyed it greatly, and it's got the speedy feeling that Taka would appreciate. I've just noticed that I've gone two chapters in a row with giving character themes for characters after they die. Pity. Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend picking this gem up at ().

New Moves:

Katon: Hisan na Saigo Ha no Jutsu- Fire Element: Catastrophic Ruin Wave Skill. This technique releases chakra from all over the body, and channels it in the form of a shockwave. The effective range of this technique is great- a sphere of approximately 300 square yards, making it functionally inescapable. Damage depends on the relative closeness to the user. At a range of 150 yards or more, a person would be knocked off their feet. At up to 50 yards, the target is hit with enough force to send them flying hard enough to break bones, if they land poorly. At up to 25 yards, internal damage can occur in addition to this. Any closer, and internal damage is nearly guaranteed. At that range, there's a good chance of death for the untrained. This technique can be used to blast away ranged weapons, and even ranged jutsus. It is optimally used as a counter-attack skill.

Uchi-kudaku Ude Toppu- Shattering Arm Blast. This technique is a high-powered taijutsu technique. The user gains a great deal of height, then rebounds to slam into his target with a great deal of force. Taka is able to enhance the potency of this maneuver with his gauntlets, which add both weight and impact strength to the maneuver. In terms of single-hit impact power, it is comparable to the Secondary Lotus, but is much easier to dodge. The Lotus, on the other hand, is almost unstoppable. A simple Kawarimi can often upset the success of this maneuver.

Hayasa no Oto no Jutsu- Speed of Sound Skill. This technique uses a great deal of chakra to actively push all air molecules away from the user of the technique. This allows a speed specialist to gain even more speed, due to lack of air resistance. It is, by necessity, a time-limited skill, due both to the user's chakra reserves and his need to breathe. It can, however, be the difference between winning and losing a speed-dependant battle.

Hiko no Jutsu- Flight Skill. This is ninjutsu of the highest order. It buffets the user from underneath with enough wind to cause him or her to float. The chakra drain from its' use, however, is breathtaking. As such, it is most often used as an emergency escape skill, or to save one's hide from a very, very high fall.

Chui Na Me no Jutsu- Mind's Eye Skill. This mid-level genjutsu feeds upon it's target's perceived weaknesses. Once cast, when it's target perceives that he or she is leaving an opening for an attack, they will see and hear the caster making an attack on them in that method. This often creates the illusion of several copies of the caster, in addition to the real user. The objective of this skill is to create an opening that the caster actually can take advantage of. This technique, however, does burn through chakra fairly quickly, so maintaining it for any real length of time is impractical and unwise.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Nine: Ninjutsu and Taijutsu

Slowly, Sakura pulled herself out of her misery and shock. Beneath her, Naruto was still breathing. She clenched her jaw, deciding what she had to do. The pink-haired girl stood up, then slung Naruto's limp arm over her shoulder. As quickly as she could manage while carrying the blond-haired boy, she made her way back to the starting point of the exam.

After all, she had a test to finish.

* * * * *

Iruka crouched for a moment, examining the nearly nonexistent tracks that Anko's feet had pressed into the forest's soft loam bed. His eyes narrowed, then he shook his head and stood up.

"I think she's trying to trick us into following the tracks," Iruka said to his partner, who nodded sagely in response.

"She is a skilled trap maker," Neji agreed, thinking for a minute. "Well, let's find her and be done with it," he said, nodding again. "Byakugan!" the long haired boy declared a few quick hand seals later. He looked, for the most part, as he did four years ago. His face was hard now, like his father's, and he wore his long brown hair in an arm-thick braid that hung to his waist. However, he dressed in the same manner as he had for most of his life, and still wore his forehead protector over his seal.

Neji's binocular vision streaked out, looking straight through the myriad obstructions in his way. /There,/ he thought, catching sight of Anko's trademark brown trench coat.

"She's that way," Neji said as he pointed to his right. It was almost the opposite direction that Anko's tracks were indicating. "And not too far away either. Looks like she looped back after making the trail," the brown-haired boy continued, releasing the Byakugan. Iruka nodded nervously, and leapt up into the treetops. Neji followed him, and together they cut through the forest towards Anko's position.

"Anko's a lot better than I am," Iruka mentioned nervously as they vaulted through the treetops. Neji nodded in response.

"That's why I'm here," he replied simply. "You're a strategist, and if this test doesn't have a strategy part in it, then I'd be surprised. We'll probably need you later."

"Thank you," Iruka smiled, but Neji either didn't notice or didn't care. Soon, Iruka rediscovered Anko's trail, but these tracks were much more recent than the older ones. In fact…

"Get out of the way!" Iruka shouted, shoving Neji left and throwing himself right. A moment later, the ground that they had been standing on exploded, a hidden exploding note having detonated from its concealed location underneath the loose loam. Neji was quick to recover, bouncing back to his feet mere moments after the trap went off. Iruka was a half-second behind him, pulling himself to his feet after a short roll.

"Byakugan!" Neji shouted, and the veins around his eyes bulged. Iruka heard a curse from the trees to his right, and turned to face the area.

"Ya know what?" Anko's voice echoed towards them. "Screw you Hyuuga bastards, and screw your goddamn Byakugan." Iruka looked up and saw the brown-clad ninja standing in the crook of a tree branch far above them.

"I see her," Neji said before Iruka could tell him. The brown-haired boy leapt upwards, and caught a tree branch that left him well within striking distance of the female shinobi. Iruka made to follow his companion, but the two engaged in combat before he could even approach their position. Neji leapt toward Anko, who retreated upwards, throwing kunai in her wake. Neji dodged them and rebounded off of her former position, racing after the kunoichi.

"There's no way I'm getting in close combat with a Hyuuga!" Anko declared, maintaining her distance. She threw shuriken back at Neji, but he managed to dodge them without having to back off. Suddenly, she leapt off of the tree that she had been racing up, and rebounded down, towards the ground. Neji tried to grab her as she passed, but Anko twisted at the last moment to avoid Neji's deadly touch. She descended rapidly, and Neji followed as quickly as he could. Iruka, still caught up in the upward racing of the two, was passed by both as they descended. Anko touched down on the forest floor lightly, then raced over towards the bole of a particularly large tree.

/What is she doing,/ Neji wondered as he followed closely behind her. /She's better than this. Where are her jutsus, her chakra?/ He could see chakra pulsing through Anko's body, but it was moving slowly, sluggishly. /It's almost like she's already used up most of it,/ he thought with a rising level of alarm.

"Shit!" Neji exclaimed. He had just landed on the forest floor himself, and Anko had made her way over to the particularly large tree that she had been running towards. Neji wasn't sure what was going on, but the tree was moving much more chakra through its passageways than it should.

"Gotcha, Hyuuga brat," Anko grinned, placing one hand on the bole of the large tree and using her other to form a simple seal. "Henge!" she shouted, and the tree was engulfed by a great cloud of smoke. Neji was already leaping away and fishing a scroll out of his jacket when he saw the head of a gigantic adder twist out of the smoke.

/Another trap!/ Neji thought with a grimace as he backed away. /That's why her chakra's moving sluggishly. She already used most of it to summon that thing./ The snake was truly massive; it was at least a hundred feet from head to tail. Neji grinned grimly, tightening his grip on the scroll he was carrying as he thought, /If I can get a second to use this, I can take this thing./

"Iruka," Neji shouted into the trees. A second later, he had to leap away desperately as the giant adder's head crashed into the ground, trying to devour the white-eyed boy. "Can you keep the snake busy for a minute?"

"Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Iruka replied, bathing the giant snake's side in a great gout of flame. The serpent writhed and twisted in pain, then turned towards Iruka's position. Neji, his Byakugan still active, could see the scarred chuunin dive desperately from his former nest high in the trees. The snake missed Iruka, but not by much. Neji's eyes narrowed and he began to perform hand seals, balancing the precious Hyuuga blood scroll between his thumbs even as his hands shifted.

"Dokuja, ignore him!" Anko shouted at the snake. "Get the Hyuuga kid! He's doing something!" The snake ignored her, and continued to crash through the woods in pursuit of Iruka. "Damn it," she cursed, and threw a brace of shuriken at Neji. The brown haired boy allowed the spinning knives to strike him. Even as they hit, however, he finished the last hand seal for his jutsu. Deftly, he slid the scroll back into his jacket, drew his right hand across the blood trail from one of his shuriken wounds, and smeared it across his left palm.

"Hakukakotai Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Neji shouted as he slammed his left hand into the ground. A great explosion of ninja smoke engulfed him, and Anko cursed. Dokuja, the snake, stopped his pursuit of Iruka, who was struggling to stay out of the serpent's gigantic mouth. His giant head swung around, maneuvering around a tree that happened to be in the way, to see what beast Neji had summoned.

"A rat?" Anko exclaimed in disbelief when the smoke cleared. In front of her, standing as tall at the shoulder as an elephant, was a huge, long rodent. From her nose to the tip of her tail, she was completely white. Even her eyes were milky white. "Dokuja, it's dinner time!" Anko cheered, grinning viciously.

"Not a rat," Neji returned as his giant rodent began to warily approach the hungry-looking snake. "Shiraga, do what you were born to do," Neji commanded his minion with an expectant smile. The rodent's bushy tail swished in response, as it waited for the snake to attack. The snake examined its opponent carefully, the shrewd experience of a creature so ancient as it outweighing for the moment its desire to feed. The rodent simply waited tensely, eyeing the snake warily. Finally, having decided that this was no trick, Dokuja reared back and struck, his fangs extended.

With incredible grace for something her size, Shiraga ran forward, keeping very low. Just as Dokuja's head began to fly over her ducking form, Shiraga again displayed her agility with a quick turn. She opened her surprisingly large mouth, which was full of needle sharp teeth, and bit hard just behind Dokuja's head. The snake immediately began to whip around, trying to get the giant rodent to release her hold on the base of his neck.

"What the hell?" Anko exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Shiraga is a mongoose," Neji explained, addressing the sadistic jounin directly. "She eats venomous snakes." Anko's eyes widened again, and she looked desperately at her flailing snake. Dokuja had found himself unable to dislodge his white-haired assailant, or even lift her off of the ground. Now, he was trying to wrap the far end of himself around Shiraga, but she deftly avoided his jerky attempts to capture her. He was choking to death by degrees, and Shiraga's bite only tightened as time went by. Finally, Dokuja could take no more punishment, and his entire length exploded into ninja smoke. Shiraga seemed to look disappointed at losing her meal. Anko cursed again, then raised her hands in surrender. Neji nodded, patted Shiraga once, and allowed the white-haired mongoose to return to her home with a puff of ninja smoke.

"Just outta curiosity, how'd your rat see Dokuja's tail when he tried to get ahold of it?" Anko asked as the three started to make their way back to the main area.

"When I summon a mongoose with the Hakukakotai Kuchiyose it becomes albino and is bestowed with Byakugan eyes until I send it away," Neji explained simply. "Ancient Hyuuga technique." Anko shook her head in amazement.

"Goddamn Hyuuga," she muttered angrily as Neji and Iruka retraced the path that they had taken to catch Anko.

* * * * * *

Lee was excited. Though this was not a new condition for the green-clad boy, it was certainly one that he exulted in. Lee lived for excitement, for challenge, and this was the first true challenge that Gai had been able to present him with in some time.

/With my training boots on, I can't jump from tree to tree. I'd break any tree branch I landed on,/ Lee thought as he traced his mentor's path as best he could from the ground. By jounin standards, it was an embarrassingly poorly concealed trail. Gai had crashed through the treetops recklessly; tree branches had broken and fallen to the forest floor, which allowed Lee to track the jounin with relative ease. As Lee followed his former instructor's trail, his boots pressed large and deep tracks into the forest floor.

The young man had been tracking Gai for hours now. The weight of his boots and the reels on his arms slowed him, but Lee was still moving at a speed that most jounin would envy. He knew for a fact that it was faster than Gai could move on his best day. The jounin was still running, however; if it wasn't for the heavy thumping sound his boots made, Lee would be able to hear the faint sounds of cracking branches as his teacher tried to escape him. Finally, though, Lee found himself at the end of the trail of branches. He stopped and looked around, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Lee-kun," Gai's firm voice broke the relative silence of the forest. Lee's head snapped upwards, and he could see his former teacher standing on a branch not fifty feet above him. "Your youthful determination is shining today! You have caught up to Gai, the Green Beast of Konoha!" the green-clad jounin declared, flashing a white-toothed grin as he pointed towards some unknown spot in the sky.

"I have caught you, Gai-sensei, and today I'll take the title of the Green Beast of Konoha from you once and for all!" Lee returned, clenching his fist in front of his face. The chains that wrapped around the giant reel on his arm shifted noisily, and it seemed like little fireballs obscured the boy's eyes for a moment.

"We'll have to see just how far the explosion of youth can take you, when faced with the iron tower of experience!" Gai challenged, shoving a thumbs-up in Lee's direction, while planting his other fist firmly on his waist. He then flashed another of his blindingly white smiles. It was almost as if the jounin couldn't pick a single pose, and settled on a mutated variation of two put together.

"There's no limit to how far my youthful determination can take me!" Lee declared, the little fireballs in his eyes growing even larger. He held a clenched fist up on either side of his face and stared menacingly at Gai. Or would have, had his three-and-a-half foot long kunai not completely obscured his face from view. With that declaration, however, Lee charged forward and reared back with the kunai in his right hand, then slashed cleanly through the bole of the tree that Gai had been standing on. The jounin leapt away and landed lightly on the forest floor, then ran to Lee's right, in an attempt to flank the younger ninja. Lee was expecting this however, and threw his dai-kunai at Gai before the jounin even had enough time to leap out of the way. The chain lashed out behind the kunai, whipping around as the giant knife sheared through trees on its way towards Gai's position.

The green-clad jounin managed to throw his upper body backwards, and the kunai sailed over his stomach, then sheared right through the tree behind him. Gai let out an exclamation of laughter as he rolled out from underneath the chain's path, but then the raucous sound made by the reel on Lee's hand stopped, and the chain itself snapped tight. As Gai stood, he saw that Lee had grabbed the chain with his free hand. Then, the young ninja yanked hard on the chain, causing it to retract onto the reel on his arm. Soon, the dai-kunai came whipping back through the air, but Lee caught it with practiced ease. He held the pose for a moment, his arm bent at the elbow, framing his face nicely.

"There's no time for posing now, Lee-kun," Gai admonished, then seemed to vanish. Lee knew better, and set his feet wide apart, waiting for his teacher to reappear. Soon, Gai burst from cover, flying towards Lee with his foot extended for a vicious kick. Lee grinned confidently, and moved his still-posing hand slightly, to interpose the flat of the dai-kunai between them. Gai hit the weapon hard, then rebounded backwards. Lee, however, was already pivoting, and threw his first kunai towards his teacher. The experienced jounin exploded in ninja smoke as the kunai hit him, leaving a log hovering in the air for the massive kunai to hit. Lee was expecting this too, and threw his other dai-kunai to the left of the first. It crashed through some trees, and an exclamation of pain rang through the clearing. Lee smiled, having predicted his former teacher's movements from their long hours of training together. The chuunin yanked back on his kunai chains, and the reels on his arms retrieved his weapons for him. Gai stepped easily into view as he did this, the front of his jumpsuit torn and a thin line of blood leaking downwards from a shallow cut in his chest. He narrowed his eyes at Lee.

"Enough playing around," Gai declared, pulling up the leg- and arm-warmers he wore. From each limb, he removed a chain of weights, labeled with the characters for 'determination.' With a crash, he dropped them to the ground.

"Agreed," Lee returned, dropping his kunai. He detached them from the chains on his arms, then hit a recessed button on each of his training boots. They cracked open, and Lee stepped out of them. He then hit a switch on each of the reels on his hands, disengaging the springs that held them in tension. The two green-clad warriors eyed each other for a minute.

Suddenly, Gai charged forward, moving much faster than Lee had ever seen him move. The chuunin, in surprise, fell back as Gai assailed him with a withering combo of punches and kicks. Lee dodged or blocked each with the heavy metal reels on his arms, but barely moved fast enough each time to catch his former teacher's blows. When he did manage to block a blow, the sturdy metal creaked in complaint.

/Where did all of this speed and strength come from?/ Lee wondered, his naturally wide eyes widening further. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Gai landed a witheringly powerful kick from below. It sent Lee soaring into the air, and Gai followed him, rebounding off of a nearby tree before smashing into Lee again. He repeated this, keeping the younger ninja suspended in midair. Finally, he appeared above Lee, face-to-face with the youth.

With a cry of "Omote Renge!" Gai reeled back and punched Lee hard in the stomach, sending the round-eyed ninja crashing to the forest floor. The round-eyed boy struck the ground hard, sending up a plume of dust twenty feet high. Gai, meanwhile, dropped to the ground as slowly as he could manage, bouncing off of trees to slow his momentum. When he landed, Gai fell to his knees, wincing at the pain of overstressed muscles.

"Did you really think that I would teach you a move that I didn't know myself?" the jounin asked, a confident grin on his face. In the middle of the impact crater, Lee was struggling to his feet. It was obvious that the fall had hurt him, and by no small measure. He reached back into his supplies pouch and pulled out a small round pill. With an equally confident grin, Lee swallowed it.

"A soldier pill?" Gai's eyes widened in realization, and he pushed himself to his feet. His muscles hurt all over, but he could still fight, and fight well. Suddenly, Lee seemed to vanish.

"Do you really think that I would show you my best move, Gai-sensei?" Lee asked quietly from behind his former teacher. Gai twisted as quickly as he could, but when he did, Lee wasn't there anymore. "But, just for you, Gai-sensei," Lee's voice again taunted the jounin from behind. "I'll show you my most special move." Gai again turned, but Lee still wasn't there.

"What is this?" Gei wondered aloud his eyes widening. "It can't be genjutsu… can it?"

"It isn't!" Lee declared, suddenly appearing in front of the jounin. Gai's eyes widened in wonderment; Lee was simply moving too fast for his eyes to follow. "This is why I'm the fastest in Konoha! Second Gate… open!" Lee shouted, his skin turning red. Gai gasped in surprise; the veins in Lee's face weren't bulging.

/He's using Ura Renge, but it's not straining him any more than Omote Renge does!/ Gai's eyes were so wide not that they looked suspiciously like his former student's eyes. Then, a realization crystallized in his mind. /Lee is using the energy of the soldier pill to fuel the Ura Renge. It should be impossible; the combined energy of the two should rip his body apart!/ Gai thought, shaking his head as he stepped away from his student.

"Third Gate… Open!" Lee's eyes widened even more, his deeply red skin pouring sweat. Still, however, the veins in his face did not pulse outwards. Chakra swirled around Lee, tearing up little chunks of earth around him. Gai stared at him intently, knowing that surviving for longer in this match depended on seeing which direction Lee went when he had managed to stabilize the incredible surge of chakra that his body was now drawing. Then, Lee seemed to relax a bit, and stood up straight, looking at his amazed teacher.

Suddenly, Lee simply wasn't there anymore. Gai hadn't seen him break left, right, up, back or forward. He had simply vanished, as best Gai could tell. Then, Gai flew sideways hard as Lee smashed into him from the right. Before Gai could even react, however, Lee caught him with a roundhouse kick from the left, completely reversing the jounin's momentum. Again, before Gai could do a single thing, Lee hit him again. This time, it was the deadly kick from below, the one that risked all to send an opponent skyward. Gai couldn't defend; he barely even saw the foot as it struck him. With more speed than he'd even been struck with before in his life, Gai rocketed skyward. His ribs felt bruised, if not broken, and his chin hurt just as much.

"I'll show you my new Ura Renge!" Lee declared from behind the hurting jounin. Chains snaked out and around Gai, cocooning him from head to toe in chain. Lee didn't grab Gai, however. Instead, le let out a greater length of chain from the reels on his arms, then pulled it tight again once he had about five feet of distance between Gai and himself. Then, with a gut-wrenching pull, Lee whipped Gai around, swinging him in a hard vertical circle. He continued this, and sped up with each rotation, until Gai couldn't even tell which way was up anymore. With each rotation, he let out a little more chain, increasing the centrifugal force that he was applying. Spinning, the two fell towards the ground below. Gai winced in anticipation of the impact.

"Ura Renge revised: Hasaiki Jiten!" Lee shouted, and Gai smashed into the ground. The hard-packed earth shuddered, cracking and falling in upon itself. A plume of dust shot skyward, obscuring both lee and Gai from outside view. Despite the billowing dust cloud, cracks in the ground raced outwards, outpacing even the racing exhalation of air. Finally, the cracking stopped, and the dust billowed outwards, dispersing into the trees. At the center of the great blast crater, Lee had landed hard, and was slowly staggering to his feet. The chains that bound Gai hung limply from the reels on his wrists. The young man made his way, as best he could, to the metal-shrouded form of his former teacher. It rested at the very center of the crater, underneath a shroud of hard earth that jutted into the sky, broken into suck a position by the force of Gai's impact.

"Gai-sensei," Lee said, falling to his knees next to the metal-cocooned form. He pulled chains from around his former teacher's face, revealing a bloodied and bruised but breathing Gai. "Are you all right? Did the chains protect you?" Lee asked, hoping that the jounin was still conscious.

"I'll be all right," Gai answered, his eyes cracking open. Lee sighed in relief, and began to untangle the jounin from his chains.

"I won, then?" Lee asked, sitting Gai up and pulling the chains up and over Gai's head one strand at a time.

"Of course!" Gai replied, trying to flash a grin. He winced when he did so, however, and Lee looked sheepishly at his former teacher. "How could you survive both the soldier pill and the Ura Renge?" Gai asked after a minute, still trying to process what had just happened.

"I don't know," Lee replied, shaking his head. "A little over a year ago, I was on a mission, and I used a soldier pill. I forgot about your warning not to use it with the Renge, and I performed the Omote Renge. Afterwards, I realized that I didn't hurt like I usually did."

"Later, I found out that I could open the Second and Third Gates as well, and the Renge wouldn't rip my muscles if I had just used a soldier pill," Lee continued, retrieving the last of his chains from Gai's bruised and battered form. "It doesn't help me at all if I open the Fourth Gate, however."

"The Fourth Gate…" Gai trailed off, shaking his head. "That must be why it is named the Wound Gate."

"It's okay, Gai-sensei!" Lee grinned, his own form bruised and battered from the fall. "I'm a Renge Bushi, and I won't lose to anyone!" Gai smiled in satisfaction; his oath to lee was finally fulfilled. Painfully, he stood, leaning against Lee for support.

"Lee-kun," he said suddenly, turning to face the young man that was so similar to him. "You have surpassed me. I acknowledge you as a truly excellent ninja!" he declared, grinning through the pain. Lee's eyes widened, then his smile did as well.

"Thank you, Gai-sensei!" he shouted, trapping the jounin in a bear hug. Gai's eyes bugged; his bruised ribs protested this treatment in no uncertain terms. Lee realized this and released Gai, looking more than a bit sheepish. Together, they stumbled back towards the starting area, leaning on each other for support.

"I know that you encased me in chains to protect me," Gai finally objected, wincing. "But couldn't you have used a second layer too?" Lee only laughed in reply.

* * * * * *

Masako leaned against one of the red-painted wooden gates that composed the beautiful red bridge that connected the town of Konoha to the forested training grounds that surrounded it. She had left her cloak and sakkat at her hotel room, and was dressed in her fighting clothes: a gray shift with her butchered Konoha forehead protector bolted to the left side of the neckline and simple black pants. Leaning against the gate next to her was a bamboo staff, as long as she was tall. The jounin conducting the test were obviously uncomfortable, as was their leader. None of them liked to have an Akatsuki member nearby, especially one that they had been strictly forbidden from attacking. Masako allowed herself a small smile at this. They had been like this since she had arrived, almost a half hour ago. Suddenly, a white and black clad form burst from the trees, and Masako stood up properly, grasping her staff.

/It's him,/ she thought, one end of her mouth pulling up into a vicious smirk. She quickly concealed it, and stepped forward to join the outskirts of the crowd that now surrounded Sasuke.

"What the hell have you done?" Tsunade exploded, seeing Sasuke's blood-coated state. The boy merely sneered at the Hokage.

"Kakashi and the red-haired Sand ninja," Sasuke explained, sucking on one of his fingers. The almost-dry blood came off without too much difficulty, and he moved to the next before continuing. "I decided to kill them. I wish that I could say that it was a challenge." The crowd of jounin seemed to explode into a chorus of angry voices, all directed at Sasuke. Masako noted that the Cloud ninja was listening, as she was, on the outskirts of the crowd. The Mist representative wasn't even paying attention. She had removed her respirator, revealing a softly feminine face decorated on the left cheek with a swirl, composed of what seemed to be red dots. Masako didn't have time to look more closely.

"You know that this disqualifies you from the exam," Tsunade said coldly, her eyes narrowed. Sasuke shrugged, apparently unconcerned by this as he moved to suck his third finger clean.

"Not like it matters anyway," Sasuke said once he'd finished. "Once Itachi comes, you'll all die." He moved to suck his little finger clean, and a hush fell over the crowd.

"Itachi is coming?" someone in the crowd asked. Sasuke nodded once, not bothering with a verbal reply.

"When?" Tsunade asked curtly, stepping forward.

"The day after the jounin exams are over," Sasuke replied, removing his now-clean finger from his mouth. "After today's gone, three days," he announced, and a murmur of worry rippled through the crowd. Sasuke seemed to think for a minute, then leapt over them and onto one of the red wooden gates of the bridge. He waved backwards once, with all his fingers except the middle one halfway retracted. Then he leapt away, heading towards the Hokage monument. Masako took this opportunity to leave, following him. Her Anbu escort was slumbering quietly in the forest, where they wouldn't be found for quite some time. Sasuke moved very quickly, and Masako couldn't help but grin, her suspicions confirmed.

/He's used the Shijuukaigan Sharingan,/ she thought as she chased him. /Soon, I'll have two Uchiha toys to play with…/

* * * * * *

The scene that assaulted Iruka when he made his way into the staging area for the first jounin exam was not one that put him at ease. Many of the jounin were moving around nervously, and others were gathered around Tsunade, talking quietly. Iruka glanced over at Neji, who returned his expression of unease, but to a lesser degree. There was little that could truly unnerve the Hyuuga prodigy. Meanwhile, Anko cursed her way over to the jounin with the stopwatch and reported her loss. Iruka glanced skyward; it was still before noon, despite the rather lax pace they had taken to return. Neji was more winded from his summoning than he would admit, but Iruka noticed it. Tsunade finally noticed them and stepped forward, clearing her throat. The various jounin fell silent one by one.

"Choose your second target," Tsunade commanded them, her voice unusually firm. The feeling of nervousness in Iruka's gut deepened; Tsunade didn't get serious unless there was something significantly awry. Neji placed a hand on Iruka's shoulder, shaking the man from his reverie.

"You pick," Neji said quietly. "You chose a good one the first time." Iruka nodded, and walked over to the table. His eyes scanned the long line of scrolls, and he thought for a long moment. Finally, he smiled and picked the scroll in the exact center of the line. With a bit of trepidation, he cracked the seal and opened it.

"Yukigawano Sei," Iruka announced in a clear voice. He didn't recognize the name; Neji didn't either, from his expression. A cloaked figure slowly stood up from where it had been sitting, propped up against a tree. It pulled wrappings from around its head and neck, revealing a soft female face surrounded by a halo of pale white hair. Her bangs almost obscured a Mist hitai-ite from view. On her left cheek, what appeared to be red dots swirled up to make a soft, wave-like pattern.

She pulled her cloak up and over her head, and Iruka drew in a breath of surprise. The woman wore traditional black ninja pants and plain sandals. She also wore a pale white skirt that hung to her lower thighs. As a top, she wore a modified, single-strapped chuunin vest. Underneath it, what seemed to be half of a kimono cushioned her neck. Her arms and neck were bared; this was what had surprised Iruka.

This woman's entire upper body was covered in red tattooing. Lines of text began on the tips of the fingers of her right hand and swirled up and around her arm. They continued around her upper chest, and included her neck. What Iruka had first thought to be a little swirl on her face was one terminus of the incredibly long text. The tattoos continued down her left arm, wrapping the fingers of each hand in red characters. As far as Iruka could tell, this woman had been tattooed with dozens of prayers. They wrapped around her skin like a living prayer spindle; there was more tattooed red on her arms, chest, and neck than there was the pale pink color of her skin.

"That would be me," she announced quietly. The man with the stopwatch nodded and pushed one of the buttons on the stopwatch. Sei vaulted into the treetops and quickly made her way away from the gathered jounin. Iruka rolled the scroll open more completely.

"She's Anbu," he announced, shaking his head. Neji joined him and examined the scroll carefully.

"She's also a genjutsu user," Neji commented, pointing at the woman's skill graph. Her taijutsu ratings were abysmal, and her ninjutsu skills were relatively unremarkable. Her genjutsu, however, was rated very strongly. "She was only promoted last year, and she hasn't done too many A missions. We shouldn't have too much trouble," he said while nodding, confident in his analysis.

"I hope so," Iruka agreed, rolling the scroll back up. Together, he and Neji waited for the timer's permission to leave. When it came, they leapt into the treetops in hot pursuit.

* * * * * *

Sakura stumbled into the central staging area late in the afternoon. Naruto had regained consciousness, at least, and was able to walk on his own now. He was still suffering from chakra exhaustion though, so the two had made poor time. Naruto hadn't said anything to his partner since he'd woken up. Sakura couldn't summon up the nerve to start a conversation. She could tell by Naruto's facial expression that he remembered everything that had happened to his Honshitsu Bunshin clones.

As soon as she entered the clearing, Sakura went directly for the table. She only had a few hours left before sundown, and she still had to catch another jounin. Naruto went straight to Tsunade, however.

"Tsunade-baba!" he shouted, the foulness of his mood carrying over to his voice. Tsunade turned to look at Naruto, her eyes narrowing at his tone. "Where'd Sasuke go?" Tsunade's face softened at the mention of Naruto's former partner.

"Naruto, I heard about Kakashi…" she trailed off, trying to comfort him. Naruto wasn't interested.

"Where the hell did that murdering bastard go?" Naruto roared, his eyes wild. Tsunade put one hand on the blond-haired boy's shoulder.

"I know, Naruto," Tsunade repeated, her eyes soft. "I'm dealing with it now. There's already an Anbu squad looking for him. We'll find out what's wrong with him." Her eyes hardened at the final sentence; Naruto could tell that the Hokage was holding back. "Go finish the test, Naruto. Sakura's already picked a scroll," she told the blond-haired teen, her voice soft, but her tone steel. Naruto's eyes narrowed, but he walked over to join Sakura at the table. She had opened the scroll, but hadn't yet announced their target. As Naruto approached, he could tell that Sakura was shuddering, and her mouth was slightly open in shock.

"What is it?" Naruto asked brusquely, closing the distance between them quickly. Between Sasuke's actions and Tsunade's obstruction, his mood had only worsened.

"Tsunade," Sakura finally said, handing the scroll to Naruto. His eyes bugged; the Hokage's name was, indeed, printed in flowing characters on the interior of the scroll. Naruto whirled; behind him, Tsunade had already removed her ceremonial garb, and was looking at the pair with remorse.

"Sorry," she shrugged. "Guess you two just got some bad luck." That said, Tsunade jogged into the woods, apparently unconcerned with her pace.

"Well, shit," Naruto said after almost five minutes of silence. Sakura could only nod in agreement.

* * * * * *

Sasuke looked at the village of Konoha with a smug sense of satisfaction. He held the lives of each and every one of these people in his hands; whether or not they lived depended solely on his whims. He liked that feeling.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a woman's voice asked him. Sasuke spun around, drawing a kunai as he did. Behind him stood a plain woman in a gray shift; he remembered her.

"Give me one reason not to kill you now and bathe in your blood," Sasuke growled, his face contorting into an awkward grin. Masako regarded him coolly, not flinching from his apparent readiness to kill.

"I was talking about you, not the town," she flirted, her expression unchanged. "You really are something. Quite a bit more so than your brother." Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at her unabashed flirtation, then pulled the kunai from her throat.

"Go on," he nodded, twirling the kunai on one of his fingers. The fact that he didn't put it away was not lost on Masako, but she didn't seem to care.

"I saw the way you moved around the Hokage. I saw the way you played her," Masako said, walking casually towards him. Her hips swayed, and Sasuke struggled to keep his fractured attention on her words. "She'll be doing your work for you. When Itachi arrives, he'll be greeted by nervous jounin and oblivious chuunin," Masako continued, smiling inwardly. She hadn't missed Sasuke's downward glances. "Because you know full well that she won't allow anyone else to know about Itachi. That's just the way she is," Masako finished. She was now in front of Sasuke, looking out at the town. Her hips were thrown to the left, and her hands were placed daintily on her thin waist, accentuating her sexuality.

"So?" Sasuke asked, tearing his eyes upwards. "As long as they're scared, they won't fight as well. Though I do enjoy a challenge, I enjoy a massacre even more." Masako couldn't help but smile. She was glad that the younger Uchiha couldn't see her face, or her plans might be ruined. Once she got herself under control again, she turned to face Sasuke.

"You impress me," she said, sauntering over to the raven-haired boy. "You use your head. Your brother just likes to kill." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the mention of his brother, and Masako continued. "You know, I have been looking for an upgrade," she said breathily, stepping very, very close to Sasuke. The raven-haired boy was breathing hard. His eyes were locked on hers, and Masako smiled inwardly again.

"I'm sure that we can think of something to do to pass the time," Masako implied, her intention plain in her eyes. "After all, if there's no Konoha left for him to come to, how can Itachi come to Konoha?"

Sasuke was more than agreeable to Masako's logic.

*** Author's Notes ***

Dun, dun, dun… another one bites the dust! And another one goes, and another one goes, another one bites the dust! Woo-hoo! I got to do a lot of things in this chapter that I've been meaning to do for quite some time. In case you hadn't guessed, I'm a huge Lee fan. Thus, I've made him into the character that he deserves to be. Also, Neji is cool. I decided that he deserves to have his own special summoning. I really don't care if you agree with me on that fact or not, so there!

For those of you that don't know, I DO have a winning team on the "guess Masako's name game." The team of Tatsu no Houou and Epuichi managed to decipher my cryptic riddle, and created a character that I REALLY like. You saw the first of her in this chapter. Say hello to Yukigawano Sei, Mist village Anbu. You'll see more of her next chapter.

Well, with that out of the way, I need to take a minute to get serious. I tried to post an announcement concerning the contest. took it down, but that's besides the point. For that, I got a few really nasty comments, and rather personal ones at that. I would like to remind EVERYONE out there that I'm putting basically ALL of my free time into putting out this fic as fast as possible, so that you guys can enjoy it. Each of these chapters, between concepting, planning, writing, and revision takes somewhere in the vicinity of 12 to 18 hours to make. I do not appreciate personal attacks when I fail to update after only a TWO FUCKING DAY DELAY! ::Breathes in, calming down:: You know who you are out there. I appreciate and encourage constructive criticism. Personal attacks WILL result in my retiring from the fanfiction world, with Genin left unfinished. For everyone out there who have been nothing but supportive, like Skittles and Adrian, I really appreciate it. You, and people like you, keep me going when I get flames from these people. I appreciate those of you, like SilverKnight, who have offered constructive criticism even more.

I offer my deepest apologies for this rant. Almost nobody out there deserved it.

A slightly peeved,

~Flash ()

The Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Xenon (Halogen Remix)," by Beatdrop. This is a remix of a great Dance Dance Revolution song, and it's very well-done. A quick and active song, I find it to be great listening for those battles that aren't… Sasuke-like. Pick it up at . As a quick note: those of you who haven't downloaded "Distortions From Dark Matter," last week's featured song, I STRONGLY advise you to do so. Certain fights in the future WILL be written to it, with the intention that the readers listen to it while going over the same parts.

Character Themes:

Yukigawano Sei: "Aeon," by Sephire. This is a moody remix of the Hymn of the Fayth, from FFX. Weather you like the game or not, it's very nice, and it fits this character well. Find it at .

New Moves:

Hakukakotai Kuchiyose no Jutsu- Albino Summoning Skill: This blood scroll technique, unique to the Hyuuga clan, is a customization of the standard Kuchiyose no Jutsu. It functions exactly the same as a standard summoning, except that the summoned creature is albino, and has Byakugan eyes.

Ura Renge revised: Hasaiki Jiten- Primary Lotus revised: Crushing Spin: The Hasaiki Jiten is not a new technique, nor does it use or access any power that the Ura Renge didn't already have. It is merely an application of that strength and speed. Using centrifugal force, the user is able to spin their helpless opponent around at the end of a length of chain or rope. The sudden impact at the end of this spin is bone-crushing. Against a foe without the benefit of medic-nin training, it should be fatal.

Translations:

Dokuja: Poisonous Snake

Hakukakotai: Albino

Shiraga: White-hair

Hasaiki: Crusher

Jiten: Spin

Bushi: Warrior

Yukigawano Sei: Spirit of the Snowy River


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Ten: Genjutsu

"Well," Sakura began, trying to muster her courage. "What should we do now?" She and Naruto stared at each other in despair as fifteen minutes counted down on the examiner's clock. Naruto's bad mood seemed to have evaporated in his shock, and Sakura determined not to mention it.

"Let me think for a minute," Naruto replied, his thought dissolving into careful consideration. After a few minutes of nervous pacing, he turned back to face Sakura, who had sat down on the scroll table. "I can make a really good diversion for ya. Do you have a technique that'll let you take advantage of it?" he asked. Sakura nodded after a moment's thought, her face becoming serious.

"I was hoping to save it for later," she said, her voice trailing off towards the end of the sentence. "But we don't have an option, do we?" Sakura shook her head, throwing off her initial reluctance. Naruto shook his head.

"Five minutes," the man with the stopwatch called, and Sakura nodded in his direction to acknowledge it. To Naruto, she asked, "You're still tired. Can you fight?" Naruto shook his head.

"But I can pull up enough chakra to give you an assistant. He'll even help ya find Tsunade," Naruto said, grinning wryly. "You're probably not gonna like him very much, though." Sakura's eyebrows raised at this.

"Why not?" she asked, slightly nervous.

"Because he's a pervert and a loudmouth. I don't like him at all, but…" Naruto trailed off, then shook his head. "The bastard gets the job done, that's for sure."

"Just who are you talking about, here?" Sakura asked, her nervousness growing considerably.

"A fox spirit named Jiko," Naruto replied, performing a few hand seals as the man with the stopwatch counted down the last seconds before the two would be allowed to leave.

"You're summoning a helper named 'Trouble?'" Sakura asked wryly as she cast a dull glare at Naruto.

"Actually, that's pretty ironic," Naruto said, pausing in his hand seals. "His name really means 'accident.'" When Sakura's gaze turned questioning, Naruto explained, "His mother didn't want him."

"Go!" the man with the stopwatch shouted, and Naruto finished the last of his seals. As he did so, red chakra flared around him, plainly visible to Sakura's Sharingan eyes. Oddly enough, Naruto hadn't commented on them on their trip back to the clearing.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, slamming his hand into the ground. He was engulfed in an explosion of ninja smoke. When it blew away, Naruto was again unconscious, and standing in front of his fallen form was a large fox, standing upright on its hind feet.

"Hey, baby," he said to Sakura, seeming to point at her with his forepaws. "My name's Jiko. Wanna go for a ride?" The fox was a little shorter than Sakura was. He was dressed in a traditional samurai kimono and obi, though both looked more than a little disheveled. Behind him, two bushy red tails twitched, allowing him to keep his vertical balance.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sakura groaned, shaking her head. Jiko looked hurt for a moment.

"Not another one!" Jiko wailed, turning around. He marched over to the forest's edge and say down, his forelegs crossed sulkily. "I swear, that brat never summons me next to a receptive woman," the fox muttered under his breath.

"Come on, let's go," Sakura said, jogging over to the red-furred creature.

"What?" he asked, looking up at her.

"It's the middle of the jounin exams, and I'm short on time. We've gotta find Tsunade!" Sakura explained. Jiko snorted in response.

"What's in it for me?" the fox asked haughtily.

"Huh?" Sakura asked intelligently.

"Well, Naruto aint gonna be telling me to do anything in the immediate future, and I don't have to listen to you," Jiko replied, a cunning grin on his face. "I'm sure we can come up with something…" Sakura could feel him undressing her with his eyes, and she shuddered involuntarily.

"Well…" she began, then Inner Sakura helpfully supplied her with an idea. Despite herself, Sakura couldn't help but grin. "Haven't you heard?" she asked with mock surprise. "Tsunade is the most beautiful woman in Konoha!"

"Oh, really?" Jiko asked, his interest more than piqued.

"Of course!" Sakura continued, grinning. In her head, Inner Sakura was cackling madly. "She's got a beautiful face, and a great bum, and breasts that go out to here!" Sakura said, making arm motions to simulate a bosom that would be more realistically made with basketballs. As predicted, Jiko's eyes bugged out. Inner Sakura's cackling turned to a variety of laughter more appropriate for mad scientists and bad movie villains.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jiko asked enthusiastically. He sniffed the air a bit, then headed into the forest, moving quickly.

"How do you know which one is her?" Sakura asked, catching up.

"The other two three female scents can't be the woman you're describing," Jiko replied, speeding up. Sakura strained to keep up with him as the fox dropped to all fours. "One belongs to you, another smells…" he trailed off for a moment, shuddering. "Putrid. The third is wearing perfume that you can only get in the Water country." Sakura nodded, her confidence in the odd fox raising a notch. Suddenly, the fox exploded in a puff of ninja smoke. In his place, what seemed to be a gigantic housecat ran.

"What the hell?" Sakura wondered aloud, confused. The cat exploded in ninja smoke again. In its place was a chimpanzee, which hooked a branch and swung along, moving as quickly as Sakura was with ease.

"Didn't you know that foxes can use Henge no Jutsu at will?" the chimpanzee asked, mischief sparkling in its black eyes. Sakura shook her head. The chimpanzee transformed again, this time into a horse. Sakura took the opportunity to leap onto its back.

"Hey!" Jiko shouted in protest, slowing.

"Go! If we don't find her by sundown, you'll never get to see her!" Sakura lied smoothly. Jiko immediately sped up, galloping through the forest at great speed. "Can you still smell her?" she asked after a few minutes of Jiko's high-speed pursuit.

"Yeah," Jiko neighed, his voice distorted by the horse's long throat. "Not as well, but she's there." Sakura nodded in satisfaction, but Jiko continued. "I can't wait," he muttered just loud enough for Sakura to overhear. "Who cares if she doesn't want me? I'm gonna be all over that babe!" Sakura suppressed another shudder, and tried not to feel sorry for Tsunade.

"Why were you transforming while we were running back there?" Sakura asked after a few minutes of Jiko's perverted mutterings. Some of what the fox had apparently been planning was… enough to make Sakura shudder. Naruto hadn't been kidding; Jiko was a pervert of a caliber to make even the legendary Jiraiya squirm.

"It's fun!" Jiko said cheerfully. Sakura looked again at the odd fox.

"That's it?" she asked incredulously.

"That's it," Jiko confirmed with a shake of his head and neck. Sakura did her best not to shake her own head in turn. Soon, though, Jiko began to slow down.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, leaning forward after a moment.

"We're close," Jiko replied quietly. "Her scent is thick here." Sakura nodded and slipped down Jiko's red-haired side. The fox in horse's form quietly transformed into his true form, the tattered kimono and obi reappearing on his now lupine form.

"She didn't go very far," Sakura noted, glancing around. Tsunade hadn't even traveled half of the distance that Taka had, and that made Sakura nervous.

"Her scent is laced with worry. Does she fear you?" Jiko asked, moving forward with utter silence. Even his loose clothes didn't rustle. /Naruto was right. This guy is good,/ Sakura thought even as she shook her head at Jiko's question.

"She's the Hokage," Sakura answered the fox, following him half a step behind. "There's no reason for her to be afraid of me."

"Then that's why she didn't go far. She fears something else, and needs to return to it," Jiko reasoned, and Sakura stopped short for a moment. /Itachi,/ Sakura recalled, the memory of Sasuke's attack still fresh in her mind. "There," Jiko whispered, pointing with one of his paws. Sakura shook herself from her unpleasant memories and moved forward carefully to look in the direction that the fox spirit was pointing. There, sitting against a tree in the middle of a small clearing, was Tsunade. She looked troubled and distracted.

"Can you distract her?" Sakura whispered, fearing that her voice would be audible to the legendary female ninja above the general clamor of everyday forest life. The fox nodded once, then grinned lecherously.

"For as long as you need," Jiko replied, then transformed again. Sakura was amazed; he had such tight control over his transformation skill that he managed to perform it with neither sound nor smoke. In Jiko's place, a red-furred squirrel sat. With a quick chitter, it dashed off towards Tsunade. As he left, Sakura formed the hand seals that she would need to perform her most potent jutsu.

"Me Ni Mienai no Jutsu," she muttered, and shuddered as the initial investment of chakra poured out of her, empowering the technique.

* * * * * *

Tsunade looked up sharply. She had just felt a surge of chakra nearby. Immediately, the legendary ninja jumped to her feet and looked around nervously. All she saw was a single red-furred squirrel limping along the edge of the clearing. It was clutching its front left paw to its chest as it went. Tsunade was immediately suspicious of the creature, but she knew that it could not be either Sakura or Naruto; neither had the kind of control that they would need to change size that drastically, though Sakura would probably be able to come close.

Finally, Tsunade's medical inclinations got the best of her, and she approached the squirrel slowly, staying very carefully aware of the happenings in the rest of the clearing. As she approached it, the squirrel immediately stood up on its hind legs, then darted away a few feet. This set Tsunade at ease; no human could mimic the natural reactions of such a creature so completely.

"Come here, little one," she called softly, squatting down. The squirrel sat up on its hind legs again and looked at her, its front left paw still clutched to its chest. "Come here. I won't hurt you. I want to help you," Tsunade cooed at the little animal again, bending over. Its eyes fixed on her, widening a bit. Slowly, tentatively, it started towards her, halting every few steps it took. Tsunade's eyes narrowed suddenly, her suspicion renewed. She'd realized that the squirrel's eyes were fixed on her bosom. Suddenly, the squirrel crouched and sprang towards her, exploding into ninja smoke in mid-flight.

"Come to papa!" a voice erupted from the cloud of smoke. Following it, the form of a gigantic red-furred gorilla burst upon Tsunade. From her crouched position, Tsunade couldn't react quickly enough to escape from the path of the giant ape, and was bowled over by it.

"What the hell?" Tsunade exclaimed, grabbing the red-furred behemoth by its formidable arms and flinging it off of her prone form. In mid-arc it transformed again, this time emerging as a red-tailed hawk. While Tsunade kick-flipped herself to her feet, the hawk strained for height. Tsunade looked up just as the hawk tucked its arms in and dove toward her. As if dove, the hawk exploded again into a cloud of ninja smoke. This time, the creature's new form burst from the smoke before it had even fallen through it completely; it had become an elephant, and Tsunade's eyes widened in alarm. She dove to her right, knowing that even her strength couldn't stop that much weight when it was traveling at the kind of speed a hawk could achieve when it was diving.

Tsunade easily rolled to her feet a safe distance from the falling elephant. It struck the ground with a resounding crash, and the ground shuddered beneath Tsunade. The gray-skinned behemoth was slow to recover from the monumental fall, and Tsunade was about to advance and finish the beast off when she was brought up short by a sharp edge pressed against her throat.

"You're dead," Sakura's muffled voice said simply. Tsunade glanced downward; she couldn't see whatever blade was pressing into her throat, but she could see the long indentation line that it pressed in the flesh of her windpipe. Behind her, she could feel a woman's body pressing into her as Sakura took up a more certain position of supremacy.

"Impressive," Tsunade admitted, and the blade was removed from her throat. The elder woman turned just in time to watch Sakura shimmer into view. "What was that?" Tsunade asked curiously, knowing very well that there were several techniques that could render a shinobi functionally invisible.

"Me Ni Mienai no Jutsu," Sakura explained, sheathing her ninja-to with a fluid movement. Tsunade's eyebrows raised at this.

"That's first-rate genjutsu," Tsunade nodded, impressed. Sakura blushed a bit and used her right hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, the nervous action belying her embarrassment. "Who taught it to you?"

"I taught myself. I found the technique on a scroll in my attic," Sakura told her, blushing a little more deeply. Behind Tsunade, Jiko finally gathered the presence of mind to return to his true form. He emerged from the smoke and made his way to the two women, massaging the back of his neck in pain.

"That's quite something," Tsunade shook her head, smiling. "Come on. We should be getting back." Sakura nodded in agreement, and Jiko joined them.

"Aww, her tits aren't nearly as big as you said," Jiko groaned at Sakura. Tsunade's face darkened immediately. With a swift movement, she hammered the fox spirit on the head with enough force to crush a boulder. Jiko was sent back to wherever he came from with an explosion of ninja smoke, and Tsunade's expression brightened considerably.

"Thank you," Sakura smiled, looking up at Tsunade. The Hokage smiled back at her for a moment, then seemed to get serious.

"Sakura, you have Sharingan eyes," Tsunade observed, her voice carrying obvious concern. "What happened?"

"So that's what it is," Sakura mused aloud, then looked back at Tsunade. As they conversed, the two began to walk back towards the staging area for the exam. "I don't know. Twice today I had a really bad headache. After that, I could see everybody glowing," Sakura explained, thinking. "I don't know what brought it on the first time, but it happened the second time when Sasuke…" she trailed off. Tsunade's expression of concern immediately deepened.

"What did Sasuke do?" Tsunade asked directly, worry in her voice.

"He used the scroll that I made for him," Sakura admitted with a blush. Tsunade cursed under her breath and looked away.

"Damn, now we've got two problems," she muttered. Sakura looked up, then nodded in understanding.

"Itachi," she said quietly, and Tsunade nodded.

"Whatever you do, stay away from Sasuke. It's up to the Anbu and I to bring him down," Tsunade commanded, steel in her voice. Sakura looked up in surprise.

"What?" she asked. Despite how Sasuke had treated her… how he had killed Kakashi-sensei… how he had hurt Naruto… Sakura looked down in shame, realizing that she still had feelings for the dark-haired boy, if for nothing more than his constant companionship.

"He's lost his mind. That's what the technique that he used does," Tsunade explained, forcing Sakura to look up at her. "It burns through his mental capacities in exchange for physical power. The only thing that we can do is put him down before he kills again." Sakura's jaw trembled for a few moments, then she nodded. Tsunade turned from the young woman and leapt into the trees, making her way away from Sakura quickly.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, trying her best not to cry. She failed after only a few short minutes.

* * * * * *

"Damn it, we've been chasing her for hours!" Neji cursed. Iruka simply nodded beside him, too tired to do anything else. After a minute, Neji stopped on a tree branch and rested. Iruka gratefully joined him, heaving for breath next to the skilled Hyuuga. They had been chasing after Sei for almost three hours now, moving as fast as they could through the treetops in pursuit of the foreign Anbu. No matter how fast they moved, however, Sei seemed to outrace them. Neji's Byakugan eyes could see her distant form clearly, but he could never catch up to the woman, no matter how fast they traveled.

"She's stopped too," Neji said between breaths. Iruka nodded and sat down on the tree branch hard, still gasping for air. His hand found an irregularity in the tree branch and Iruka rubbed the groove with his fingertips, trying to distract himself from how badly his parched throat hurt.

"It's like she's one step ahead of us," Iruka complained. Neji nodded in agreement and sat down as well. "Are you sure that the Byakugan is unique to the Hyuuga clan?"

"Dead sure," Neji replied, his tone icy. Iruka, a bit unnerved, simply nodded in reply. The two sat in silence for a few long minutes, gathering their breath again. Iruka's fingers continued to rub the little irregularity that he'd found in the tree branch.

"She's moving again," Neji announced suddenly, pushing himself to his feet. Iruka glanced downward to see just what he had found with his hand before he got up as well. Neji leapt away, but Iruka ignored him, intrigued by what he'd found. It was tiny, but inscribed on the branch in red was the character for 'tree.' Iruka examined it more closely, and his curiosity deepened. This symbol had none of the wear or irregularity that would come from time; it was fresh.

"What on earth is this?" he wondered aloud, only noting peripherally that Neji had probably left him long behind. Iruka looked around, wondering if this was unique. Below him, he spotted a tiny speck of red on a small boulder. Without a second thought, Iruka slid from the tree branch to examine it more closely.

"Here too?" the elder chuunin muttered, running his hand over the symbol for 'rock.' It too was inscribed in red, the tiny mark showing no signs of wear or age. Iruka thought for a moment, then scratched hard with his nail at the mark. When that did nothing, he drew a kunai and scratched even harder. Eventually, he must have caused actual damage to the symbol, because the boulder suddenly shimmered and disappeared. After catching his balance, Iruka jumped back up to the tree branch that he had been sitting on before. He found the 'tree' symbol again with ease, and stabbed it hard with his kunai. The whole tree vanished, and Iruka had to catch himself before he struck the ground.

"Genjutsu," he muttered to himself. Iruka looked around, and was able to make out a little red symbol on each and every significant object in the forest. /How did I miss them before?/ he wondered, looking around slowly. /Wait… the most powerful genjutsus are powered by the expectations and the knowledge of whoever they're used on. Maybe…/ Iruka thought. He closed his eyes, and told himself that it was foolish to think that there were little red characters on everything. When he had himself reasonably convinced, he reopened his eyes. Just as Iruka had expected, he could no longer see any of the characters. As he thought about this and grinned, however, they slowly began to reappear.

"All right," Iruka mused aloud, looking around slowly. "She must be using these characters as the key element that holds the genjutsu together. Considering that it's this powerful, a release technique probably won't work." Just to be safe, however, Iruka summoned a portion of his chakra and attempted the technique. When it failed to do anything, he nodded in confirmation, then groaned.

"Damn. I've convinced myself that it won't work, whether or not it actually will," Iruka chided himself. "Now I've gotta do this the hard way." Iruka thought carefully for a few minutes, examining the characters on the various objects near to him. "Okay… There's got to be a central symbol, one that unifies the work of all of the detail ones here. I could probably beat it if I took out each and every base character, but that'd take ages. I've gotta find some way to get to the heart character," Iruka mused, falling into silent thought again afterwards. After a while, he shrugged.

"It's worth a try, I guess," he decided aloud. Iruka closed his eyes, and thought, /When I open my eyes, the central character will be in front of me,/ firmly. He repeated this thought over and over in his mind, clenching his teeth with determination. After a few minutes, the black-haired chuunin opened his eyes. Laid out before him on the ground was the character for 'heart,' at least fifteen feet in length.

"The heart character," Iruka mumbled aloud wryly, remembering his own statement. He shook his head with a grin and drew his kunai again. /You'd think it would be better protected,/ he thought absently. Iruka immediately clamped down on the thought, but it was far too late. Sliding out from hiding places behind trees all around him, ninja clad in the traditional black garb of their craft drew kunai and faced him.

"Damn it," Iruka cursed, dashing forward towards the kanji in the ground, hoping to destroy it before the shinobi could attack. They were fast, however, and Iruka was forced to turn aside before he could get to the character. Soon, the chuunin was fighting for his life, his black-garbed opponents attacking him from all sides. Iruka repeated to himself that these ninja had to be unskilled for there to be so many of them. The logic of his statement seemed to work, and the black-garbed mob seemed to slow down a bit. Iruka could see them making little mistakes, and he grinned. Carefully, the chuunin dodged the attacks that his opponents leveled against him, striking out when he could. Whenever he landed a blow, he thought, /That should be fatal!/ to himself. Invariably, whichever shinobi he had struck would collapse in a pool of blood.

Finally, Iruka decided that there were few enough of them to risk attacking the symbol again. He reached into his supplies pouch and withdrew an exploding note. Quickly, as the thing ignited, he wrapped it around the handle of his kunai and leapt into the air. His black-garbed opponents tried to follow him, but Iruka was still convinced of their lack of skill, and they found themselves unable to match the chuunin's leap. With a grin, Iruka slung his kunai at the symbol. It struck the exact center, and Iruka cheered a bit inside. A split second later, the exploding note detonated, blowing fully half of the character into the air.

Before the earth even began to arc downward, it shimmered and vanished. Next, Iruka's black-garbed opponents vanished. They were soon followed by the trees, which seemed to shimmer for a moment before vanishing. In the distance Iruka could see a gray speck, which could only be Neji, stumble and fall downwards. Then the whole world, from the ground to the sky, shimmered, and darkness took Iruka.

He pushed his eyes open with a bit of effort. Iruka gathered his arms beneath him, realizing that he was lying face-down in the loam of the forest floor. With little effort, Iruka pushed himself to his feet. His throat no longer hurt, and he no longer felt tired. /It was all in my mind,/ Iruka thought, grinning. Next to him, Neji was moaning as the white-eyed boy came to his senses.

"You're the first one that's ever defeated my Kaihou Hon wo Kakeru," Sei's soft voice wafted down to Iruka, and the chuunin looked upwards, still smiling. The foreign Anbu was crouching on a tree branch above them, the characters of her tattoo writhing and glowing softly.

"You hide the component characters very well," Iruka nodded to her, and Sei nodded to him in turn. "I'm amazed that you can construct such an incredibly complex genjutsu. Is it a family technique?" Iruka asked. Beside him, Neji was shaking his head and pushing himself to his feet.

"It is," Sei replied, the characters of her tattooing settling into place on her skin. They still glowed softly, but no longer writhed like they once had. Iruka noted absently that the sun hung low in the sky; they were running out of time.

"I thought so," Iruka grinned, drawing a kunai and sliding into a ready position. Sei noted this and stood up fully, her tattoos glowing a bit more brightly.

"What the hell happened?" Neji asked, shaking his head. He had finally regained his feet and spread them and his hands wide, preparing for the dreaded Hakke Rokujuuyonshou.

"Genjutsu," Iruka explained, stepping a bit away from the Hyuuga prodigy. "Be careful. She might have more."

"Then I'll take her out before she can use any," Neji declared, leaping upwards. "Hakke Rokujuuyonshou!" he shouted as he flew towards the mist ninja. She made no move to dodge, nor did she perform any hand seals. Instead, Sei merely held out her right arm, pointed at Neji.

"Sokubakuriron no Jutsu," she said quietly, and the characters on her right arm peeled themselves off and flew towards Neji, enlarging as they went. The long-haired boy recognized the danger he was in and abandoned his attack, throwing himself into a spinning dodge even as he flew towards Sei. The characters simply followed him, however. One by one, they plastered themselves into a cocoon around Neji, much larger than they had been when they were on Sei's arm. Neji pushed at the characters from inside, but found that they were utterly immovable. His eyes widened, and the symbols constricted, binding his arms tightly to his sides. Slowly, he tumbled back to the ground, groaning quietly in pain as the characters drew ever tighter. Sei redirected her gaze to Iruka, who was still crouched in his ready position. With the barest hint of a smile, she held out her left hand and pointed it towards Iruka.

"Sokubakuriron no Jutsu" Sei repeated softly, and the characters on her left arm lifted off and flew towards Iruka. The chuunin, knowing that he was taking a significant gamble, dropped his guard and closed his eyes. The characters cocooned him as they had Neji, but they did not constrict.

"This is genjutsu," Iruka said softly, opening his eyes. The characters pulled away from him an almost imperceptible amount. He grinned, knowing that his gamble had paid off. "This is genjutsu!" Iruka declared, his voice clear. The characters retreated, then flew back towards Sei's arm. She cursed, her eyes wide now.

"How did you know?" she asked, panic in her voice. Neji was still trapped, too consumed in his world of imaginary pain to hear either of them.

"Your tattoos," Iruka grinned confidently, rushing towards the genjutsu mistress. "You use them to power your genjutsu, so that it's more effective and more immediately usable." Sei's eyes widened, and she dove from her tree branch. As she dropped, Iruka could see her performing hand seals. /She's done using genjutsu on me,/ he realized grimly, knowing that she was still his superior at ninjutsu. /I've got to close in and engage her./

"Mizu Tesabaki no Jutsu," Sei shouted, finishing her hand seals. Iruka dodged immediately, but no attack came. Instead, little balls and pools of water seemed to form out of nowhere around her head. Sei immediately began to perform more hand seals. /It's some kind of preparatory skill!/ Iruka realized, recovering from his dodge. He wasn't fast enough, however; Sei finished her hand seals with startling speed.

"Tokuketsu Kunai no Jutsu!" the Anbu cried, and one of the balls of water hovering next to her head reshaped itself into a kunai. Then, with a harsh cracking sound, it flash-froze. Sei plucked it out of the air and slung it towards Iruka, who dodged it easily. Another sharp cracking sound split the air of the clearing, and Iruka dodged again, not even needing to see that Sei had made another kunai. As he expected, an icy kunai struck the tree branch that he was currently balanced on and shattered. Iruka continued to dodge, and the cracking sounds that signaled the creation of a new kunai for his opponent came faster and faster. Every now and again, however, Iruka managed to leap a branch closer to his opponent.

"It's impressive that you can hold three jutsus at once," Iruka noted as he dodged, trying to look as relaxed as possible. In reality, Sei's throws were getting dangerously close to him. In addition, Iruka had noticed that more water would appear, seemingly out of nowhere, whenever Sei threw a kunai at him. /Her Mizu Tesabaki must allow her to pull water out of the atmosphere,/ he reasoned, doing his best to continue his slow advance. Sei's cool and collected expression was gone; panic was clearly written on her face now. Iruka grinned, planning to take full advantage of this.

Suddenly, however, all the water around Sei froze at once, turning into dozens of kunai. Her eyes were wide, and her hands crossed. She then flung them towards Iruka, and the kunai floating around her burst towards the chuunin. Iruka was about to perform Kawarimi, but stopped, a plan to potentially win the fight crystallizing in his mind. Grinning, he performed two hand seals, then brought his right hand to his mouth.

"Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Iruka shouted, exhaling into his fingers. A great ball of flame burst into existence before him, and the flash-frozen kunai burst into it. They came out the other side as flying spatters of water, which Iruka allowed to strike his body, to no effect. As soon as he could, Iruka dropped the protection of the Goukakyu and leapt forward. Sei's eyes widened as he advanced; the water around her was still in droplet form, not nearly large enough to form kunai with. She jumped off of her tree branch, hoping to escape Iruka.

The chuunin cheered mentally; Sei had played right into his trap. The scarred chuunin rebounded off of Sei's branch, having intended all along to do so. He quickly moved to shadow his target, facing her as they flew through the air together.

"Gai taught me this one!" he shouted, then kicked Sei hard in the gut. She flew upwards out of control. Iruka descended, but he caught a branch, swung around it, and flew up towards Sei faster than ever. His outstretched foot struck her again in the gut, and the foreign Anbu doubled over in pain. Iruka allowed his momentum to carry him upwards a bit more. Still upside down, Iruka kicked Sei from her left side. She didn't block it, and Iruka pushed of, spinning the opposite direction. Sei managed to block this one, but it had been mostly a distraction anyway.

Iruka grabbed Sei's right arm and pulled downwards on it. Then he pulled up, hurling himself towards the ground. Sei spun in midair, too hurt and disoriented to respond. As Iruka shot past her, he grabbed one of her rotating arms again and used it to swing around below her, coming up on her opposite side. Quickly, knowing that this was the most critical part of the technique, Iruka jackknifed his legs and yanked on his opponent's arm again. With incredible force, he smashed his feet into Sei's back and sent her plummeting towards the forest floor, about twenty feet below. Iruka floated for a minute from the force of his blow, then hooked a nearby tree branch and followed his target downward, his legs bunched beneath him for another massive kick. Sei struck the ground with a resounding crash, and Iruka spread his legs much wider than he would, were he using this technique for real.

"Tenjiku Ashige Rendan!" Iruka shouted, his legs crashing into the ground on either side of Sei's prone form. The force of the impact buried his feet up to the ankles in the soft earth and sent lances of pain up his legs from protesting feet. Sei's dazed eyes met his own, and she nodded slightly, acknowledging his victory. Despite his aches, Iruka pulled one foot, then the other from the ground, then offered Sei a hand to help her rise. She took it and stood shakily. Iruka absently noticed that both her arms were again covered in tattoos; Neji must have been freed.

"Your skill is great," Sei said quietly, looking to her side. Iruka shook his head.

"You're better. If you hadn't panicked at the end, I wouldn't have been able to beat you," Iruka returned, and Sei blushed. Diplomatically, Iruka suggested, "Let's go peel Neji off the ground and get back, okay?" Sei nodded in reply, and the two quietly limped towards Neji's position.

* * * * * *

When Naruto came to, it was late; the sun had dipped below the horizon, and few of the jounin that had participated in the test remained. Sakura sat quietly next to him, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Hey," Naruto said hoarsely, his throat dry from his multiple trips into unconsciousness. Sakura gave him a wan smile before replying.

"Hey," she returned, then lapsed into silence again. Naruto pushed himself to a seated position next to Sakura. "They found Kakashi-sensei," she said after a few minutes of silence. Naruto looked down, his shoulders slumped.

"Is he dead?" Naruto asked, summoning his courage. Sakura nodded once. Naruto could see dried trails on her cheeks where tears had streamed recently. The blond-haired boy did his best not to cry himself.

"Taka-san too," Sakura added with a sigh. "He tried to protect you when Sasuke…" Naruto cursed, his face screwing up into an expression of held-back pain.

"Damn it, Sasuke… Why?" Naruto asked himself, clutching his left hand into a fist. Weakly, he let it drop to the ground.

"Tsunade-sama said that he's going crazy," Sakura replied, even though she knew that Naruto hadn't asked her. The blond-haired boy looked at her, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "That scroll he used," Sakura supplied, unable to return Naruto's gaze. "It's not his fault." She didn't see Naruto's face fall a bit when she said that. After a moment, Naruto's gaze turned downward again.

"You still like him, don't you?" Naruto asked after a long moment. Before she could answer, he added, "Really like him." Sakura closed her mouth, thinking carefully.

"A part of me does," she finally said. "The part of me that wants to hug and hold him until he stops being so cold to everyone. Until he realizes that people love him here, no matter how hard he pushes them away." Sakura paused for a moment, drew in a deep breath, then sighed heavily. "Another part of me hates him for what he's done," Sakura said, holding back tears. "And not just to Kakashi-sensei and Taka-san. He's hurt so many people so many times, and he's never once had a good reason." Naruto nodded solemnly, and again the two lapsed into silence.

"You know," he started after a moment, then paused. "If you don't want to, you don't have to go out with me." Sakura looked at her blond-haired companion; pain was written plainly on his face, even though he tried to hide it from her by turning away. "I understand," he managed, but Sakura could hear the sobs that he was holding back. Before she could think twice about it, Sakura took his chin gently with her left hand and pulled his face around to face her. Then, gently, she kissed him, lingering lightly on his slightly-dry lips. Inner Sakura said nothing, respecting the moment. Slowly, she pulled away and looked at Naruto, whose face was now written with an expression of surprise.

"And another part of me sees you, Naruto," she said, tears welling up in her own eyes. "The most loyal friend that I've ever known. You've stayed with me for all this time, in spite of Sasuke, in spite of my own stupidity. You've been a better friend than I deserve." Sakura paused, closing her eyes. For the moment, she needed not to cry; she needed to finish saying this. "And that part of me wonders if it's just friendship, or if there's something more that we can have. I don't know," the pink-haired girl shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks despite her best efforts. "I don't know what to do. But I do know that I want to find out…" she trailed off, searching for words. "What could be."

Naruto just stared at her for a moment, then pulled Sakura in to an embrace. He too cried, for the first time in a long time. After a while, they had cried all they could, and slowly parted.

"Sakura… chan," Naruto added for the first time in years, and Sakura smiled. Naruto looked around for a minute, then stood decisively. "I'm gonna bring him back," he declared, looking down at Sakura, his jaw set.

"Huh?" she asked, surprised.

"I'm gonna find Sasuke an beat the hell outta him until he realizes just what he means to us," Naruto nodded, clenching his fist again. "As soon as the tests are over…"

"Naruto…" Sakura trailed off, unsure of what more she could say. Naruto's expression of determination dissolved into one of satisfaction and hope.

"He and I've fought over the years, but he was the first guy I ever met that considered me a rival… and a friend, even if he'd never admit it," Naruto explained. "And you deserve to know for sure how he feels about you, Sakura-chan. I don't wanna win you by default. I want to earn it." Sakura found herself speechless. Naruto's wan smile turned into a more determined grin. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Sakura nodded in reply.

"At area forty-four," she added, remembering the instructions that she had been given at the end of the first test. Naruto nodded and walked away, his hands in his pockets. Eventually, as Naruto was about to pass out of sight, Sakura stood. Somewhere inside her chest, a spot of warmth burned; even Inner Sakura had nothing to say.

"You want to earn me?" she asked to the softly blowing winds around her. "I… I don't know, but you just might have."

*** Author's Notes ***

WOW! I was simply amazed at the outpouring of support that I got after the last chapter. Everyone out there in reader-land… thanks. Anyway, I suppose that this would be a Naruto/Sakura fic now, wouldn't it? ::Checks the last few paragraphs of the chapter:: Yep, just like I thought. Damn. I was hoping to save that for "Chuunin."

That's right, people! Once I finish out "Genin," I'm planning a sequel! I've also got a couple of other ideas for fics to do. When we get closer to the end of the current fic, I'll put it up to you guys to pick which one you want me to write first!

Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this chapter. If you didn't know already, Yukigawano Sei is the character that resulted from the "Guess Masako's Name" challenge. They wanted her to fight Iruka. She did. She even lost, cuz I like Iruka. So there!

As a side note, I NEED to recommend a fic to you guys. It's an Ah! My Goddess! Fic… and a spectacular one at that. It's called "Make My Dreams Come True," and you all can find it under the Oh! My Goddess! Section of . Give this guy a review; he RICHLY deserves it.

~Flash ()

The Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"I Had A Dream," from the Legend of Dragoon OST. This is a nice, wistful song that's perfect for the mood at the end of the chapter. I don't know if it's still ANYWHERE on the net. If anyone finds a link, tell me so that I can repost with the link included!

Character Themes:

Neji: "My Shell," by 4-Eyes. This little gem is from the Ghost in the Shell OST. I know that it's not generally available online, but seeing as how popular GitS is, a good portion of you should be able to get your filthy mitts on it. Good stuff.

New Techniques:

Me Ni Minai no Jutsu- Unseeing Eye Skill. This powerful genjutsu masks the Sakura from sight completely, giving her functional invisibility. The genjutsu is centered on Sakura, and has an effective radius of 5 feet. Thus, she can hide one or two allies along with her. Anyone that looks into that five-foot radius space sees nothing out of the ordinary. The jutsu also muffles sound greatly- as long as Sakura moves quietly, the jutsu makes her soundless as well.

Tenjiku Ashige Rendan- Celestial Axis Kick Combo. This technique kicks its target into the air, then kicks them from the left, right, and below. It finishes with a rotational kick from above, which becomes a falling stomp to finish the opponent. Refer to the action described leading up to this technique's use by Iruka earlier in the chapter.

Mizu Tesabaki no Jutsu- Water Manipulation Skill. This support ninjutsu allows its user to control any local amount of water. Its most common use is to distil water out of the atmosphere, making water-reliant jutsus usable anywhere except the driest of places.

Touketsu Kunai no Jutsu- Frozen Kunai Skill. This skill allows its user to flash freeze a small amount of water into a functional kunai. The ninja can then throw the kunai as though it were a normal weapon. Touketsu Kunai also allows the user to command that the kunai melt on command. Thus, poison can be used to great effect with this jutsu.

Sokubakuriron no Jutsu- Binding Theory Skill. This is genjutsu masquerading as ninjutsu. Using text-based tattoos, the user of this jutsu is able to trap its target in what seems to be a cocoon of text. The more the target believes that he or she is bound with the skill, the more completely they become bound. This causes physical pain very quickly. Once this occurs, the pain, seeming as a physical representation of the 'binding,' makes the jutsu functionally impossible to escape.

Kaihou Hon wo Kakeru no Jutsu- The Book Written in the Mind Skill. This is an incredibly complicated genjutsu. The user entraps his or her target(s) in an illusion completely contained within their mind(s). While entrapped in this technique, the target(s) fall into unconsciousness in the real world. Nothing can wake them unless the user releases the jutsu or they defeat it themselves. This genjutsu presents the target(s) with a world where everything is exactly as they expect it to be. Every item in the illusion is marked with a tiny symbol, which will appear in red if and only if one of the targets of the genjutsu is aware of their existence. The only way to escape is to find and destroy the central symbol that binds the genjutsu together.

Translations:

Jiko: Accident, Incident, Trouble. I'm sorry, but I just love Jiko. He might make a return appearance…


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Eleven: Espionage

Tsunade paced around her official offices restlessly. Her desk was loaded with paperwork and information scrolls, but she couldn't bring herself to address any of them, despite the late hour. A yellow, full moon hung low in the night sky outside her window. She was not alone in her misery; two clerks worked diligently at smaller desks on the far side of the sizeable room.

"This can't be a coincidence," she muttered to herself for the fifth time in the last half hour. The clerks didn't even glance upwards. They were doing their best to stem the tide of paperwork that flooded the Hokage's office. Tsunade never had been one for paperwork. She was, however, preoccupied by Sasuke and Masako's disappearance. On an impulse, Tsunade returned to her desk and fished out the meager information scrolls concerning Masako from the cluttered pile. With a sweeping arm, Tsunade pushed the day's remaining paperwork aside and unrolled them before her.

"There's got to be something that I missed," Tsunade mumbled as she pored over the information in the scrolls.

"There isn't, Hokage-sama," one of the clerks told her, just as she'd asked him to an hour and a half ago. Just like she had then, and a half a dozen times since, Tsunade ignored him. After a few minutes, she sighed and sat back in her chair. A scroll tumbled off of the information pile and bumped the back of Tsunade's left hand. Idly, she picked it up, still thinking.

"Sasuke's file," she mumbled, glancing at it. Then, her eyes focused on something, and she leaned forward in her chair. "Wait a minute. This is the symbol for fan," Tsunade realized aloud, seeing Sasuke's last name on the scroll. "Hiashi said something… what was it?" she wondered, her face screwing up in concentration. With a jerk of realization, Tsunade sat forward in her chair.

"They changed it to 'fan' years after the rebellion!" Tsunade remembered. "'Uchiha' used to mean 'house wave!' Then, Toru…," she trailed off. The clerks had stopped their work, and were looking at their freshly animated employer. Tsunade's face quickly darkened.

"Michino Toru… 'Unknown Door to the House'…" she muttered. "She disappears at the same time as Sasuke, she's Akatsuki from our village, and we've got practically no record of her existence?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she thought. "This is no coincidence."

"Hokage-sama?" one of the clerks ventured. He was standing at his desk, obviously worried by Tsunade's seemingly random muttering.

"Raise the Anbu," Tsunade commanded firmly. "Have them turn this city upside down if they have to, but I want Sasuke and the Akatsuki woman found, and I want them found before the jounin exams conclude."

"Of course," he said, bowing. The shortish man made his way to the door, but Tsunade continued to instruct him. He stopped and waited for her to finish.

"Tell the Anbu that they'll probably be found together," Tsunade continued after a moment. The clerk nodded and waited to make sure that Tsunade didn't have anything else to tell him.

"'Unknown Door to the House of Waves…' damn it, it's another fake name!" Tsunade finally growled, her frustration boiling to the surface as anger. "She's here for Sasuke. I'm sure of it, and I'd be willing to bet money that she's holding Itachi's leash too." A moment passed, and Tsunade gritted her teeth. Finally, she raised her fist and violently slammed it down on her desk. It split in two, papers and scrolls tumbling to the ground. Not noticing, Tsunade exclaimed, "Who the hell is this woman?"

The clerk, having no answers and a high regard for his personal safety, took this as his cue to leave and carry out the Hokage's orders.

* * * * * *

Masako's eyes cracked open just as the morning sun was beginning to shine through the window of the second hotel room that she'd rented in the past week. It was a small establishment on the edge of town, and she'd rented the room under the guise of a battle-scarred old swordsman. The proprietor was a fat, compliant old woman with about as much ninja skill as a tree. Masako knew that she was safe for the time being.

What surprised the blue-haired woman was that she was alone in bed. Masako forced herself to full wakefulness and sat up, not bothering to use the bed sheets to cover her nudity. Sasuke stood at the foot of her bed, pulling on his stained undershirt from the day before.

"What are you doing up so early? Come back to bed," Masako pleaded in a well-feigned tone of mixed desire and sleepiness. Sasuke finished pulling on his undershirt and looked hard at her, his red Sharingan eyes whirling slowly.

"No," he said simply, his tone steel. Masako's eyes narrowed a fraction at his belligerence, but she camouflaged it as a lazy yawn. /He shouldn't have the mental capacity to refuse a direct order anymore,/ she thought as she yawned, using the yawn to mask her thought processes.

"Come here. I want another go," Masako ordered, her own voice firm. It wasn't entirely to test the limits of her ability to control the young Uchiha either; she had actually enjoyed the previous night's activities.

"No," Sasuke repeated, picking up his jacket. Since he wasn't looking at her, Masako didn't bother to hide her displeasure and worry. /This is not right,/ she thought, then his her expression when Sasuke turned to face her again. He looked angry and strained, as if he were just barely holding something in check.

"Come here now," Masako commanded, using a tone of voice that brooked no argument. It had only failed her once before. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he walked around the bed towards her. Masako was about to grin in satisfaction when Sasuke slammed his hands down on the bed on either side of her head. His eyes were wide open and whirling quickly now. His lips were twisted into a sickly grin that unnerved Masako, much to her surprise.

"Go to hell, bitch," Sasuke growled, his hot breath washing over Masako's face. She did her best to hide the nervousness that she felt; Sasuke had already tied his kunai pouch to his leg, and her own weapons were piled against the far wall of the room. /He'll probably be able to kill me before I can finish a jutsu that'd have a chance of working on him,/ Masako thought with an internal grimace. For the first time in over a decade, Masako found herself at someone else's mercy; she did not like the fact.

"I don't dive a damn that you're a halfway decent piece of ass," Sasuke continued, having apparently missed the rapid assessment that she had just made. "I'm still gonna slit your throat and roast your liver over a slow fire. I'd do it now, but…" Sasuke trailed off, licking his lips. Masako carefully eyed the razor-sharp kunai that he had drawn while he spoke. "I know the pleasure of ending one life. I want you to be a part of the bloodbath." Sasuke grinned at her viciously, then slowly pushed away from her. Masako relaxed fractionally as Sasuke spun the kunai on his index finger. Eventually, he slipped it back into its holster and wandered out of the room, whistling a tune that seemed at once cheerful and morbid.

For a long moment, Masako sat in bed and thought hard about retrieving her weapons and ending the brat's life. /They'll be looking for me by now,/ she realized, grimacing. With a sigh of frustration, Masako quietly slid the door to her rented room closed and began to dress herself.

"Damn, this is bad," she muttered aloud, checking the blade on her shikomi-zue. The blade itself was immaculate, as always. This, however, was not what concerned her. "I either need that kid, or I need him dead in a spectacular fashion." Masako thought for a while longer, then nodded to herself and sheathed her shikomi-zue. "I'll wait for Itachi and Kisame. We'll kill the kid and tear the place up. Should buy me a year or two at least." Her mind made up, Masako transformed herself into the visage of the grizzled old swordsman that she'd worn the night before and made her way to the clerk's desk. She paid for her night's stay without comment, then set about finding another hotel at which she could stay. Still, she worried, and with good reason. Few of her plans had worked out lately, and Masako knew that she couldn't afford for this one to go any further awry.

* * * * * *

Sakura shuddered as she dressed. She wasn't afraid, nor was she cold. It was much worse than simple physical discomfort. It wasn't surprising; she was putting on the same style of clothing that she'd worn the day before, the day that Sasuke had… that Sasuke had gone berserk. One, two, three buttons fastened on a black vest, just as she had yesterday, the day that Kakashi, her teacher and confidante, had been slaughtered by her childhood crush. The morning had a strange, surreal feeling to it; such normal actions after a day of adrenalin and horror seemed so unimportant. On an impulse, Sakura walked over to her underwear drawer and dug around in it. Soon, she had found the underwear that her other side had gotten as a prank… so long ago, it seemed. Quickly, she changed, the rather distinctly unusual sensation of the scanty under things bringing a sense of reality to her still-frazzled mind.

"I just hope they don't distract Naruto instead," Sakura mumbled wryly as she finished dressing herself. /I hope they do!/ Inner Sakura piped up, but Sakura smothered her. She simply had no time for her alter ego today; random distractions would most likely be the downfall of whatever test they had to pass. Still, a part of her agreed with Inner Sakura's sentiment, a part that she wasn't too willing to acknowledge.

/Damn,/ she thought, moving downstairs to the common area. /I can't deal with this right now. I need some time to sort things out./ Sakura wished that she had that time, but Naruto was relying on her. Resolutely, Sakura fed herself and stashed a couple of candy bars in her supplies pouch. They'd make for good, quick energy if she needed it. There was a note on the kitchen table from her mother. Apparently, she'd been dispatched during the night. Sakura shrugged it off; such things were fairly normal, considering the life of an Anbu. She left it on the table for her father to discover when he would come down, later that morning. A glance at the clock told her that her time was up; if she didn't leave now, she'd be late. Sakura indulged in a deep breath to calm herself, then quietly left.

The sky hung low and gray over her head as Sakura hopped from rooftop to rooftop. The air was thick with humidity, and wind whipped around her. /It's going to rain before the day's done,/ she thought worriedly. Rain was one of the few things that would ruin the Me ni Mienai; the rain would splatter off her form and reveal her position, even though she would still be technically invisible.

Before she was entirely ready, Sakura arrived at the east gates of Training Area 44. A couple of chuunin stood in front of the already unchained gate. Naruto was sitting with his back against the chain-link fence. He was staring at the gray sky, a thoughtful expression on his face. Sakura approached him slowly. The blond-haired teen finally snapped out of his reverie and looked at Sakura with a grin.

"Hey," he greeted her simply. Sakura could see that Naruto was tired; there were faint bags under his eyes.

"Hey. Did you sleep?" Sakura asked, worried.

"A bit. Not very well," Naruto admitted with a wry grin. "Couldn't get over that look in Sasuke's eyes."

"Are you gonna be all right?" Sakura asked, understanding Naruto's discomfiture. She'd had to take a sleeping pill to get to sleep last night for the same reason. Naruto nodded, then pushed himself to his feet.

"I'll get some sleeping pills after the test," he told her reassuringly. "Get a good night's sleep tonight so I'll be fresh tomorrow." Sakura nodded, then looked around.

"Where's Iruka-sensei's team?" she wondered aloud, noting that she and Naruto were the only candidates in the area.

"They're taking the same test in Area 23," Naruto explained, nodding towards one of the chuunin. "He told me when I asked earlier."

"The old castle? I'm surprised that they haven't torn it down by now," Sakura commented offhandedly. Naruto nodded his agreement, but one of the chuunin stepped forward before he could say anything.

"Well, it's 7:30, and you're both here, so let's get this started," she said in a bored and tired voice. Sakura didn't recognize the woman, so she remained silent. "In this exam, you'll be working as the team that you submitted to Tsunade. Since your third teammate got disqualified yesterday, there's just the two of you."

"For this exam, act under the assumption that Konoha is at war. It doesn't matter who it's against. Anyway, at the center of this forest is a tower. It's staffed by jounin. The woods surrounding the tower are patrolled by jounin. At the highest level of the tower, there is a scroll. Your objective is to get in, take the scroll, and get out without anybody noticing you or the fact that the scroll is missing," she explained simply. "This is a test for your espionage skills. If you are captured, you fail. If they realize that the scroll is gone before nightfall, you fail. If someone sees you, you can either attempt to fight or flee, at your discretion. In either case, you will be penalized if word of your existence reaches anyone staffing the tower. You have until nightfall to bring me the scroll. Any questions?" Sakura and Naruto both shook their heads. The chuunin nodded, and her partner threw open the gates to the training area. Together, Sakura and Naruto dashed through the gates, beginning the five-kilometer trek to the tower.

"We've gotta hurry," Sakura told Naruto as they ran. "I can get us inside with the Me ni Mienai, but our cover'll be ruined when it rains." Naruto grinned next to her.

"Good. If you can get me in and out, we're home free," Naruto declared cockily. Sakura snorted at him and shook her head. After a few minutes of running, Naruto pulled up short, and Sakura slowed to a stop next to him.

"What is it?" she asked, glancing around.

"There are patrols out here. We should start your genjutsu now, just in case," Naruto explained, glancing around to make sure that they were not being observed.

"I won't be able to hold it that long," Sakura said, shaking her head. At this distance, she knew that she'd have to hold it for at least two hours, which was her absolute limit. Naruto fished around in his supplies pouch and retrieved a small, brown pill. Sakura groaned as soon as she saw it.

"Just take it. It'll keep ya going until we're safe," Naruto told her, handing the soldier pill to Sakura.

"I hate these things," Sakura grimaced, then paused to swallow the thing. "They always give me cramps when they wear off." Naruto just shrugged, and Sakura sighed. With practiced ease, Sakura performed a long series of hand seals, then held out her hand. Naruto looked at it questioningly for a minute.

"I need to make sure that you're close enough for it to work. I don't have the chakra that I'd need for a second try," Sakura explained, a bit of a blush on her cheeks. Naruto's calloused hand slipped into her own. It felt nice, but Sakura did her best to banish that thought from her mind. "Me ni Mienai no Jutsu," she declared, and shuddered a bit as the initial, rather intense investment of chakra for the technique flowed out or her body.

"Are you all right?" Naruto asked, noticing her shudder. Sakura nodded, then realized that he couldn't see her.

"Yeah. It takes a lot to start up, but not much to keep going," Sakura explained, catching her breath. Naruto's grip tightened for a moment, and Sakura savored the feeling of his hand on her own. In many ways, it was what she'd imagined holding Sasuke's hand would be like, but it was, in many ways, different. Naruto's hand, though hard and calloused from years as a ninja, felt warm and soft in places. Even when she'd fantasized about Sasuke, Sakura had not been able to imagine any part of the steely boy as warm or soft. With a mental shove, Sakura pushed thoughts of the past and of Naruto from her mind.

"Let's go," Naruto said with a tug on her arm. Sakura obliged him, and together they raced along the forest floor towards the central tower, not daring to jump from tree branch to tree branch for fear of rustling a tree branch and giving away their position.

The chuunin proctor hadn't been kidding; Naruto and Sakura spotted no fewer than three patrols of jounin on their way to the central tower. None, however, gave any indication of seeing them. /They're investigating the chakra flare that I gave off when I started the technique,/ Sakura realized with a shudder. After a good half hour of hard running, Sakura and Naruto broke through the last of the trees. The central tower stood before them, tall and imposing. With a tug, Sakura ran towards it and slipped in one of the doors, Naruto right behind her. Once they were inside, Sakura pulled Naruto into a small side room that was currently unoccupied.

"We've got to move a lot more slowly now," Sakura whispered to her companion. "The jutsu will muffle our footsteps, but most of the tower is made of metal. If we run, we'll make noise." Naruto squeezed her hand once, a sign that she took for understanding. She led Naruto from the room and into a nearby stairwell. A glance upwards confirmed that it spiraled up at least half the height of the tower. With a nod of determination, Sakura walked up the outside of the stairwell, Naruto trailing just behind her. More than once, a jounin or two would come down the stairs. Some even looked directly at the stealthy pair, but again, none gave any indication that they could detect the hidden chuunin. Eventually, the pair made it to the top of the stairwell. Sakura examined a map of the tower, posted handily next to the stairs. /Three more floors,/ she noted. After a moment of thought, Sakura put her free palm on the back of Naruto's hand. She then lifted it up and tapped it with a finger three times. Her blond-haired companion squeezed her hand, and Sakura made her way towards where the map indicated the next stairwell was.

As they moved, Sakura was amazed to realize just how many jounin were present. Many that she had never even seen before patrolled the hallways. Sakura ran a quick mental tally of how many she'd seen so far and how many she knew that Konoha employed. The result she received wasn't encouraging. Estimating roughly the numbers that would be on each floor of the tower, as reflected by the floor that she was doing her best to traverse, Sakura realized that almost half of Konoha's jounin were patrolling this tower. /That must be why we haven't found any traps yet. The tower itself is a deathtrap with this much manpower,/ she thought, grimacing. Finally, she found the last stairwell, and slipped between the two jounin that were guarding its entrance. As she rose, she noticed that the intermediate entrance had been barricaded, and was secured with paper seals on the inside. Almost nobody would be able to get through it with that much defensive presence.

Finally, Sakura made it to the top of the stairs. She slipped through another pair of guards, Naruto right behind her. Then, she pulled up short, her eyes widening. In the center of the room, on a small pedestal, was a single scroll. Ringing the large room were jounin, each one watching that single scroll with utter and complete concentration. Naruto, however, continued forward, tugging his companion along. After a moment and a near stumble, Sakura fell into pace with the blond-haired chuunin. As one, they slowed, then stopped in front of the scroll. Then, Naruto pulled his hand from her grasp. Sakura stifled an involuntary gasp; she didn't dare make a noise in this room. A very tense moment passed, and Sakura didn't move, for fear of leaving Naruto outside of her protective bubble of invisibility.

Finally, Naruto's hand fumbled its way into her own, and Sakura breathed an internal sigh of relief. The scroll was unmoved, and none of the jounin had yet noticed the two. Suddenly, a hand fumbled around and eventually clasped Sakura's free hand. Again, Sakura had to stifle a gasp of surprise. Yet another hand fumbled around her head, and eventually found her ear. She turned her head as the hand gently pressured, and could feel Naruto's warm breath on her ear, before he whispered to her.

"Honshitsu Bunshin," he explained in a whisper so faint that Sakura could barely hear it, even though his lips were less than an inch away from her ear. She nodded almost imperceptibly, and Naruto withdrew his hand and head from her ear. Sakura tugged with her arm, trying to get the Naruto she was holding on to with her right hand to lead. It took a couple of tries before he got the idea. The three, in a line, could just barely squeeze past the jounin stairwell guards; the exit would have been impossible had Sakura been leading. Carefully, the three made their way down the stairwell, around to the first set of stairs, and down them as well. Finally on the ground level, the three mad their way to the main entrance, then stopped short.

"It's raining," Sakura stated flatly, then was nudged into silence by the Naruto on her left. Fortunately, nobody had been around to hear her. After a moment of thought, Sakura pulled her companions back into the room in which they had talked upon entering the tower.

"What now? They'll see the rain spattering off our bodies," Sakura asked quietly.

"Can we wait it out?" one of the Narutos asked. Sakura wasn't sure which one.

"No way. I'll only be able to hold the jutsu for another half hour at the most," she said, shaking her head despite the fact that nobody could see her.

"Then we've gotta go anyway. If we're not a good distance away by the time it gives out, we lose anyway," Naruto said. Sakura was fairly certain that it was the one on her right. Sakura sighed, then stepped forward, leading her companions. They paused at the entrance, then, as one, dashed out into the forest as quickly as they could. Sakura's genjutsu was the only bit of stealthiness that they bothered to take, instead focusing on speed. Amazingly, no alarm was raised behind them; it seemed like nobody had noticed their desperate escape.

Rain poured down on the trio in sheets. Sakura couldn't remember the last time that it had rained this hard. /They must not have been able to see us through the rain,/ Sakura surmised as she ran. At once, she thanked and cursed the intense rain; it would make their escape that much easier, but it was ruining her concentration. Sakura poured her remaining chakra into maintaining the technique, and did her best to keep up with her tireless companions.

"Damn. You'd only get a weather change this fast in Konoha," the Naruto on her right crowed, albeit much more softly then he would normally. Sakura was panting from the effort of keeping up with Naruto and maintaining her technique, so she didn't respond. Finally, as she knew she would sooner or later, Sakura tripped and fell to her knees. Her concentration ruined, the three companions flashed into view. One of the Narutos, empty-handed, skidded to a stop and picked her up, then slung her over his shoulder.

"Shit!" the Naruto that picked her up cursed. The other one nodded in assent and brought his hands together to form a seal.

"Henge!" he shouted, and transformed into a rather sodden-looking Sasuke. Sakura was about to object when he said, "They might forget that Sasuke got disqualified. Quick, let's get outta here!" The Naruto that now appeared to be Sasuke leapt into the trees, for faster movement, and the Naruto that carried her quickly followed. Fortunately, they encountered no patrols before they stumbled out of the forest. As he exited the gate, the Naruto that had taken on Sasuke's appearance released his transformation jutsu and walked over to the chuunin examiners, who were talking quietly under a tarp. Naruto set her down, and Sakura found her legs, then shook her head to clear it.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile.

"No problem," Naruto returned with a grin, then took her hand again. Together, they caught up with the other Naruto underneath the tarp.

"Here's the scroll," the Naruto that had arrived previously said, giving the small cylinder of cloth and paper to the examiner. She broke its seal and unrolled the scroll, checking the information inside.

"Looks like it's authentic," she declared after a minute of examination, then lowered it. Her eyebrows were raised, and her face bore and expression of respect. "You went in, got this thing, and came back out in two hours and forty-nine minutes. That's a course record."

"It's not the real one," Naruto explained, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I just used my Honshitsu Bunshin to make a copy of the real one. Sakura-chan kept us invisible, so that we could just walk in and make our copy. She did all the real work." Sakura blushed, and the examiner laughed wryly, then shook her head.

"That's the one that lasts forever, right?" the examiner asked. Naruto nodded proudly. The examiner stifled a chuckle, then waved the two away. "You guys can leave if you want. I have to go report this to Tsunade-sama. Oh," she added, almost as an afterthought. "Tomorrow's test is at Training Area 23."

"All right," Naruto said to the examiner. He then turned to face Sakura and smiled at her. "Good job, Sakura-chan. I'm gonna go home and dry off. I'll see ya tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah," Sakura said, trying to keep the wistfulness out of her tired voice. Naruto turned and walked out from underneath the tarp, then dashed towards his apartment building.

/So… why didn't you ask him to come over to our place to dry off?/ Inner Sakura asked, only half joking. The thought had crossed Sakura's mind, and she'd shoved it away violently.

"We haven't even gone out on a date yet, you hornball," Sakura subvocalized as she made her way home. "Besides, I'm not that kind of girl."

/Yes you are,/ Inner Sakura returned with a mental grin. /You know damn well that I'm just everything that you've been repressing for the last six years or so./

"Shut up," Sakura said, making a physical effort not to yell. Unfortunately, she really couldn't deny her inner self's claims; they were true.

/You know I'm right, though,/ Inner Sakura replied, her mental presence of confidence growing. Sakura really didn't have a response to that, so she completed her trek home in silence.

* * * * * *

"Who's there?" a jounin demanded. He stood atop a gate, built into a great curtain wall. It encircled completely a traditional Japanese castle, albeit one badly worn by over a hundred years of regular use. Inside it were dozens of other jounin, and a single small scroll that they had been charged with guarding. The jounin that stood atop the gate, along with five allies stationed at other places around the wall, was in charge of ensuring that the team of chuunin that they were collectively testing never got as far as the castle. Still, it was absolute misery in this weather.

"Asuma," the taller figure called back, then took a drag from a rather mangled-looking cigarette. "Kurenai's here too." The smaller figure, still cloaked by the sheeting rain, gave a short wave of greeting. Asuma had a green-clothed form draped over his shoulder.

"Is that Gai?" the jounin guarding the gate asked, remembering that the three had been dispatched as a patrol team earlier that day.

"No, it's Lee. We found his team wandering in our direction in the forest. Gai went off to chase the other two away," Asuma explained, grinning.

"Are you sure he can handle them?" the jounin asked, motioning for the gate to be opened to admit his two allies.

"He was using Ura Renge. Neji isn't fast enough to hit him when he does that, and they both know it," Yuuhi replied, a grin of confidence settling on her face. "Aside from Neji, Iruka's nothing. Gai'll probably turn up in a few hours looking for some food, a towel, and a couple of aspirin." The jounin chuckled and hopped down to meet the two as they entered the heavily fortified area.

"That's Gai for ya," he returned, taking Lee's bulky, unconscious body from Asuma. "How'd you get this one?" Asuma chuckled, and Yuuhi reached back into her supplies pouch and retrieved a small brown bottle. She handed it to the jounin guard.

"Chloroform," he said flatly, reading the label.

"It was great. Cloth over the mouth while Lee and Gai were having their powering up contest. He went out like a light," Yuuhi grinned, and Asuma shook his head a bit as he chuckled.

"That… is quite possibly the saddest thing I've ever heard," the jounin replied, chuckling a bit himself.

"Yeah… Anyway, since it's lunchtime, do you think we could duck into the kitchen and get a real meal?" Asuma asked, pulling a fresh cigarette from a pouch on his jounin vest. He tried to use his old, sodden cigarette to light the new one, but failed miserably.

"Yeah, sure," the jounin nodded. "I don't blame you in this weather."

"I don't mind it at all. This big oaf just wants to light up where it's dry," Yuuhi shrugged, then followed Asuma as he walked towards the castle. They parted ways with the jounin bearing Lee as he went down a set of stairs to the prison area and Yuuhi and Asuma made their way to the kitchen area. As soon as they entered the room, Asuma drew yet another cigarette from his vest, then paused to light it. He took a drag from the paper cylinder with obvious relish. Yuuhi snorted in disgust at him. They each took a bowl of steaming misoshiro soup, a second bowl filled with white rice, and a relatively small fillet of charcoal-grilled fish. Asuma tore into his meal, while Yuuhi enjoyed her soup and rice at a far more moderate pace. Just as the chain-smoking jounin sat back from the remnants of his meal, a crash shuddered the castle to its foundations. He and Yuuhi leapt to their feet, their eyes locked on one another.

"That brat must've been faking!" Yuuhi exclaimed, dashing for the door.

"The scroll!" Asuma finished her thought, following close behind her. Several other jounin, also enjoying a lunch break, followed the two as fast as they could. They turned a corner, raced up a set of stairs, and turned another corner. Strewn in front of them was a line of rubble. On Asuma's right, there was a hole in the outer wall, and to his left, in the side of the wall that the scroll was stored in, was another hole. Asuma dashed into the scroll room. Inside were two altars, one of which had a scroll on it. There was a ragged hole in the floor between them. Behind him, Yuuhi stuck her head out of the hole in the outer wall and looked around, trying to locate the green-clad ninja in the sheeting rain. Two jounin, the scroll's assigned guardians, groaned and nursed minor wounds.

"I think he took the decoy," one of them said to Asuma. He nodded and grabbed the remaining scroll, then whipped it open.

"It's the real one," he declared, and everybody relaxed. Asuma rolled it back up and retied the string that held it shut. "What happened?" he asked, gesturing to the hole in the floor.

"The kid used Ura Renge and burst through the floorboards," one of the jounin guards answered, pushing himself to his feet. "Knocked us around, grabbed the scroll, and made his own exit."

"All right. You and you," Asuma commanded, pointing at a pair of jounin that had followed them. "Take the altars and move them to a different room. I don't care where. Put the scroll back on one of them. Do either of you have a spare decoy scroll?" he asked. One of the jounin fished a scroll out of her supplies pouch, and Asuma nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Yuuhi and I'll go after the kid." The jounin that he had commanded were already in motion, and Asuma handed the scroll to one of them as he left. Yuuhi leapt out of the hole in the outer wall, and Asuma followed right behind her.

They landed as lightly as they could, then made a mad dash for the gates. Asuma slowed down and let them open the heavy oaken gates for him, but Yuuhi just dashed right up the side of the wall, her feet sticking to the surface perfectly despite its slickness. Asuma slipped through the gates, ignoring the self-satisfied grin of the gate's guardian.

"Looks like he pulled one over on ya," the jounin teased as Asuma.

"Shut up," Asuma returned, his expression serious. Yuuhi hopped down from the top of the wall just as Asuma passed through the gates, and they pursued Lee together, soon moving to the treetops to expedite their chase. After a few minutes, they slowed a bit, then Yuuhi grinned at Asuma. Asuma ignored it, continuing forward. Soon, a cheerfully waving Lee came into view, standing in a tiny clearing.

"Did you get it?" he asked, his voice overly eager, as always. Seated with their backs against trees around him were Yuuhi, Gai, and Asuma. Each was obviously nursing a very nasty headache, and had a little 'I'm dead' note pinned to their vests. Yuuhi's running form exploded in a puff of ninja smoke, and Iruka jogged out of it, then slowed to a stop next to his companion. Neji released his transformation technique as well, Asuma's bearded body slipping from his true form easily. He silently held up a single scroll, then turned and grinned to his companions, despite the rain. Lee leapt upwards, pumping a fist into the air, and shouted an inarticulate cry of joy.

"Damn," Asuma complained, clutching his head. "Did you have to use real chloroform?" The three chuunin ignored him and left. After a few minutes, Asuma pushed himself to his feet. "I'm gonna go home and dry off. They've already got the damn thing anyway," he declared, then stalked off into the forest. After a minute, Yuuhi and Gai stood and followed after him.

* * * * * *

Two men dressed in long black cloaks stepped into the Fire country. A third, dressed similarly, trailed behind them. All three wore conical wooden sakkats that protected them from the pouring rain. The first man, shorter than the other two, stopped and turned.

"You shouldn't be here, Dontou," he said softly. His voice was nearly emotionless, and cold as tempered steel. "Masako-sama would not be pleased."

"She'll be fine," the third man, whose name was apparently Dontou, returned with a shrug that was almost imperceptible beneath his heavy cloak.

"No. She won't," the first man stated flatly. "She doesn't like you."

"And I don't give a damn," Dontou said just as flatly. "The last time you came here, you went off on some damn fool quest for four years, Itachi. I'm here to make sure you don't do it again."

"Do you want me to make him stay behind?" the big man asked, his deep voice emphasizing the word 'make' heavily. A brutally large arm snaked its way out from underneath his cloak and grasped a cloth-wrapped zanbatou that was strapped to his back.

"Bring it, fish-boy," Dontou grinned, a heavily gloved hand emerging from his own cloak. His left hand was visibly grabbing something that he had strapped to his back beneath the cloak. "I'm a helluva lot better than you are!"

"Not in the rain, you're not!" the second man roared, whipping his zanbatou forward. Dontou dodged out of the way of the cumbersome weapon with ease. His left hand whipped forward and attached a fully extended shadow shuriken to his right hand glove. With a flick of his hand and a shove of chakra, he sent the gigantic shuriken spinning on the well-greased knob that he'd attached it to. The gigantic second man pulled his zanbatou back and watched Dontou carefully, paying close attention to the spinning shuriken. He was summoning the chakra to perform several water jutsus in quick succession when Itachi placed a hand on his arm softly.

"Leave him be, Kisame" he said, the grip of his hand like iron. Even if he wanted to now, Kisame wouldn't be able to move his arm. He had always wondered how Itachi had the strength to do such a thing, despite his rather small form. "We'll let Masako-sama decide what to do with him." Kisame growled for a moment, then nodded. Itachi released his grip, and Kisame swung his zanbatou into its harness on his back. After a minute, Dontou slowed the spinning of his shadow shuriken to a stop, then collapsed it. His left hand retrieved the compact weapon and returned it to its sheath under his cloak.

"We'll be late if you two fight," Itachi stated matter-of-factly. "Masako-sama would not be pleased." Saying nothing more, he continued his trek, walking at a moderate but incessant pace that put almost as much distance behind him as sprinting would. Kisame nodded in agreement and caught up with his partner. Dontou spat on the road, carefully missing the cuff of his cloak, then followed the two at a distance.

*** Author's Notes ***

Hey, everybody. I know that it's been a while since I posted, and I have two very good reasons for it! First of all… it's Finals Week up at my college. That's right, people; I've been writing this in between my finals, instead of studying. My second reason… is not so good. Tatsu no Houou goaded me into re-reading "Comes the Cold Dragon," a Ranma ½ fanfic. Can I take this moment to say that that thing is UNBELIEVABLY long? It took me three solid days of reading to get through it!

Anyway, here's another chapter for you all. I had a lot of fun writing this. I've also been wanting to tell you guys so much more about Masako for quite a while now. It finally worked out here, and in just the way that I wanted. So… it's not just Itachi that's coming to town, but Kisame and a third person, presumably Akatsuki as well. Quite a show of force, no? I guess you'll all see in a few chapters.

I'd also like to thank all of you who've been so supportive of me. Seriously, I appreciate it more than you guys can imagine. Thanks to all of you, I can guarantee that Genin WILL be completed, and probably within the next 30 days or so. There's only, I think, 3 or 4 more chapters after this one.

For those of you that might want to cry at this announcement, I've actually got some good news. I've been prereading for a fic that's probably slipped under the collective radar, but I'm gonna try and fix that right now. "Future Legends" is a fic with great potential. It's well written, and the author is only getting better as time goes on. The fic is the story of Jiraiya's crew from their genin days. Now, don't pass this off as a mirror of Naruto's story, which would be the easy thing to do. There ARE similarities (Naruto's gang being the neo-incarnation of the Three), but the story, from what I've been told, will be significantly different. Furthermore, the characterizations in this fic are absolutely INCREDIBLE. I am a confirmed Orochimaru-hater… and this guy had me liking Orochimaru after the fist chapter. You can find it in the Naruto section on , and it's got my vote for the fic that's "most likely to become a widely loved epic."

Thanks for the time, guys. I'll update as quickly as I can.

~Flash ()

Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Fall From Above (You Can't Stop)," by Arkimedes. This song is an excellent ambient remix of the title theme from the X-Box masterpiece, Halo. Let it not be said that I only recommend playstation music! Anyway, this is a subdued but energetic piece that, I think, is perfect for the rather 'undercover' mood of this chapter. Pick it up at the Overclocked Remix (.org).

Character Themes:

The one you've all been waiting for… Itachi: "Sephiroth Heavy Industries," by CamTarn. This is a HEAVY industrial remix of Sephiroth's theme from Final Fantasy 7. It's dark, moody, and perfect for everybody's favorite Clan-murdering bastard (and I use that term of address with all the respect that it's due). Find it at ().

Translations:

Misoshiro- a very yummy variation on Miso soup. My favorite! ^_^

Zanbatou- a very, very large sword. More of a polearm, really. Anyway, it's the weapon that Kisame uses.

Dontou: "Dull sword" or "dull sword blade." Yet another name pun!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Twelve: Assault

Naruto did his level best not to shift from foot to foot. He was standing in a line next to Sakura. Beyond her were Neji, Lee, and Iruka. All four of them looked far more at ease with the situation than he did, which bothered the blond-haired chuunin more than a bit.

"Well, I have to say that this is more than impressive," Tsunade began, strolling in front of the candidates. "We've never had five people make it to the final section of this test before. I'd like to congratulate you all. However, this is where many of your predecessors have failed." Naruto's stomach twisted at this, but he managed to keep a straight face.

Tsunade looked disheveled, as if she hadn't slept. Naruto felt for her; he had thought that he'd have to resort to sleeping pills to get to sleep the night before. In the barely post dawn light, he was grateful that he hadn't had to resort to such measures. Though the espionage pseudo-mission that he'd completed with Sakura the day before hadn't been strenuous for him, Naruto had slept for most of the afternoon, as well as the entire night. Now, for the first time since Sasuke's rampage, he felt like himself.

"As you know, this test has been testing your capabilities, and matching those up against what we need in a jounin. What you may not know is that the Anbu and the medic-nin have been monitoring this test very closely as well," Tsunade marshaled herself, appearing to shake away her sleeplessness. "The Anbu and the medic-nin are special jounin organizations. A shinobi that is a member of either organization is technically a jounin, even if they are not assigned with the full range and scope of missions that a full-fledged jounin would normally undertake. After this test, each group will independently decide for themselves weather or not each of you fit their needs, and inform you of their decision." Tsunade trailed off, her head dipping a bit. She snapped it up and shook her head again. One of her aides stepped forward and conversed with her in hushed tones, but Tsunade shook her head and pushed him away gently.

"You all have trained here before," Tsunade began again, dispensing with the formality such a situation usually called for. "Inside the castle is a dummy, much like this one," she continued, hefting a human-sized dummy. A few lights blinked around its body, and its shape vaguely approximated that of a human's. "This thing will indicate 'death' by asphyxia, crushing, or wounding in a vital area. Your mission is to assassinate an enemy daimiyou, approximated by this dummy's twin. We know that it's in the castle somewhere, but even I don't know where specifically. However, the castle is guarded by a large number of shinobi. Some estimates say between twenty and thirty mixed jounin and chuunin. Furthermore, they know who you are and that you're coming." Naruto lost his composure a bit at this. Sneaking in between that many jounin, as he had the day before, was one thing. Having to fight them was a whole other proposition.

"How are we supposed to succeed, then?" Neji asked, his face stoic. Naruto glanced over at the Hyuuga prodigy and noticed a very tiny sheen of sweat, just below Neji's hitai-ite, the only indication of any nervousness that the Hyuuga could not control.

"Kill the daimiyou, then take out as many of the shinobi guarding the castle as possible," Tsunade explained bluntly. "The daimiyou is the mission critical objective. If he gets away, you all fail immediately. The method the five of you use to complete this mission will be the most important consideration. The team's 'survival' ratio… is secondary."

"In other words, this is a suicide mission," Sakura stated, her eyes blue. Naruto hadn't noticed that her inner self was in control this morning, and mentally kicked himself for missing the opportunity to greet her. Sakura didn't let her inner self out much lately, and the blond-haired chuunin enjoyed being around someone even more mischievous than himself.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded, and Naruto could hear the others shifting. "You have until midnight. Good luck." Each of the chuunin nodded in response and moved into the training area. Naruto, the last in the line, was stopped when Tsunade placed a hand softly on his shoulder. He turned to face the aged legend.

"About Sasuke," she began, then fell silent. "You're the only one who's fought him and lived. When it comes time to kill him…" Naruto's face fell, then hardened.

"With a good night's sleep, I can take him, no problem," Naruto declared decisively. "Even with that stupid scroll of his, he's not as good as Kakashi-sensei was." Tsunade looked up at Naruto, her face betraying surprise. "Kakashi-sensei only ever let his guard down around Sasuke. He probably got caught by surprise. As long as Sasuke doesn't use the scroll again, there's no way he can beat me." Naruto's jaw clenched and unclenched a few times as he thought. Tsunade simply sighed and nodded.

"All right. You can go now," Tsunade said, a wan smile alighting on her face.

"You're not gonna kill him," Naruto said, his tone iron. Tsunade's surprise showed itself again at the determination that was written plainly on Naruto's face. "Sasuke was the first person to ever acknowledge me as a rival. He was the first person my age to treat me like something besides a monster. I'm gonna kick his ass until he sees straight again. Got it?" the blond-haired chuunin declared, his eyes glassy with determination. Tsunade did her best not to smile at Naruto's loyalty. Fortunately, an Anbu leapt to the ground next to her in a crouch, so she was able to direct her attention elsewhere before her frazzled willpower gave out.

"Yes?" she addressed the Anbu. He looked up at her before speaking, his face obscured by a mask shaped like a fox.

"We have him under close surveillance, but he still hasn't led us to her. Should we take him anyway, Hokage-sama?" the Anbu asked in the clipped tones of a commander. Still, Naruto couldn't help but feel like he recognized the voice. Tsunade glanced at Naruto, then back at the Anbu.

"No. We'll leave him be unless he tries to hurt someone," she finally decided, nodding to the man. He nodded and rose. When he turned, he saw Naruto and stopped. A hand snaked up and lifted the mask, revealing a face that Naruto hadn't seen in years.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Morino Ibiki half-growled in the tone of voice he'd used when he'd administered the chuunin exam so very long ago. "The one that made it through with a blank test. Good luck, kid. I'd like to work with you, personally." Then he was gone, leaving Naruto with an odd mixture of determination and embarrassed pleasure.

"Go," Tsunade said after a few moments. "They're probably wondering where you are." Naruto nodded once and leapt off into the training grounds, chasing after his erstwhile team.

* * * * * *

The last rays of the sun's light were fading from the sky by the time Sakura made her way, alone, into the castle at the center of training area 23. It had taken the entire day for the five of them to argue through the details of their plan of attack. Sakura, her inner self in control at the time, had complained for hours about her assigned role in the attack. Again, she was to make herself invisible and sneak into the stronghold to assassinate the daimiyou dummy. /Well,/ she thought wryly, sneaking past a yawning guard, /I've proved that I can become invisible very well. Maybe that'll count for something./

Sakura had taken back control once her inner self had resigned herself to the simple logic of the strategy. Inner Sakura was inept at most genjutsu. In fact, she only knew one, which Naruto had taught her in his spare time. Sakura had to bite back a giggle at the memory of the blond-haired boy's attempts to teach her the technique without seeming like a pervert. /On the other hand,/ Sakura reasoned, /what other kind of person invents a technique called 'Sexy no Jutsu?'/

Regardless, Sakura now found herself, using Me ni Mienai, inside the castle. Her sharp eyes picked out several well-hidden traps in the gloom. Carefully avoiding them, Sakura checked in room after room as she made her way around the first floor of the castle. There were guards everywhere; she had already counted twenty, and knew that there would be just as many on the second floor. Tsunade had given them a very conservative estimate.

After about a half-hour of searching, Sakura had satisfied herself that the dummy was not on the first floor of the castle. Silently and invisibly, she stole up the central staircase, carefully bypassing several traps on her way. This time, the jounin were ready for her, it seemed. If she tripped even one of these traps, her position would be given away and the entire plan ruined. Sakura took her time to make sure that that didn't happen.

Finally on the second floor, Sakura made her way around the perimeter, noting that the sliding doors to almost every single room was closed. If there were people inside any of them, it would be impossible to check without giving herself away. Finally, though, Sakura stopped and smiled. To her left, on the far side of the flimsy rice-paper door, she could hear two people conversing quietly. Though there had been shinobi patrolling the upper level, no other room had emitted any semblance of sound. A quick glance around confirmed that Sakura was alone for the moment. She knocked on the door and stepped to the side, drawing her ninja-to silently.

After a few moments, the door slid open and a man that Sakura vaguely recognized poked his head out to glance around. Sakura wasted no time and brought the flat edge of her blade down on his neck. The jounin seemed to get the idea and slumped to the ground with a thump, spitting out a long toothpick as he did so. Inside the room, his companion gave a shout of surprise, but Sakura was already on the move. By the time that the jounin had drawn a kunai, Sakura had clambered over the first jounin's prone form and slashed towards the second. Somehow, he managed to block her initial slash. Sakura grinned and pivoted, striking the other side of the jounin's neck with her ninja-to, which was held in her other hand. In this stance, her torso was fully presented to her opponent; it was a risky stance made usable only because her opponent could not see her vulnerability. He dropped to the floor, as the rules of the test dictated.

As Sakura had expected, the human-like brown dummy sat in the corner of the room, the lights scattered around its form blinking merrily. Sakura reversed her grip on her ninja-to, then slashed crosswise. The dummy's head fell from its body with a thud, and the lights blinked out. Suddenly, Sakura felt a wrenching sensation, and her invisibility dropped. Clutched in her left hand was the steel sheath for her ninja-to, matching the instrument itself in her right hand. She cursed, realizing that she had tripped a chakra-draining trap when she'd taken the daimiyou's head.

Sakura clambered back out of the room. /If that didn't set off a silent alarm, I'll be amazed,/ Sakura thought to herself. She slipped the sheath of her sword back into its specially-made quick release holder, then reached into her supplies pouch and pulled out a small cylinder. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of quiet running, and glanced back. She made out three figures in the half-darkness, then corrected herself as a fourth joined them. /There's no way I'm getting away,/ she thought with a pang of regret. /I've gotta signal the others./ She remembered a place earlier, where there had been a large hole in the second story wall. /If I can make it that far…/ she trailed off mentally.

Sakura rounded the last corner and grabbed a little string attached to one end of the cylinder with her teeth. She yanked hard, pulling the short length free of the cylinder. A small trickle of smoke seeped out, and Sakura grinned. She hadn't been sure that it would work when Neji had given it to her earlier, but now…

"There!" Sakura couldn't keep herself from shouting when the hole in the wall came into view. There were now at least a dozen shinobi chasing her, and Sakura knew that they'd catch her within moments. With all her might, she hurled the chakra flare out of the wall. It bounced off of a support and tumbled out into the night sky. A special Hyuuga creation, it emitted only a little heat, but a great deal of stored chakra. It made for an excellent signal flare when one was allied with a Hyuuga. The only disadvantage of the item was that the chakra was blocked by any physical barrier, even something as thin as rice paper. /HELL YEAH!/ Inner Sakura celebrated, seeing the special signaling device tumble out of the building. Then, Sakura found herself utterly immobilized.

"Caught ya. You're dead, woman," a man Sakura recognized as Shikamaru's father grinned cockily.

"Maybe, but so are you," Sakura replied just as cockily.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Naruto's voice shouted, followed by a massive explosion. Someone ran over to the hole in the wall, then nearly fell over in surprise.

"Get outta here! It's Gamabunta!" he shouted, and the jounin that had chased Sakura dispersed immediately, seeming to vanish into the corridors of the castle. Sakura suddenly found herself mobile once again, and glanced back at the elder Nara, who had held her captive with, she presumed, Kagemane.

"You're still dead, girl, but get outta here before something really bad happens," he told her, and Sakura nodded her thanks. Then, she heard the creaking of massive tendons, and a sudden rushing of air. Remembering the next part of the plan, Sakura dove out of the hole in the wall and landed hard on her feet, two stories down. Wincing at the pain the jump had caused in her legs, Sakura ran away from the castle as quickly as she could, chanting one phrase over and over again.

"Get away from the castle, get away from the castle, get away from the castle," she repeated to herself. Behind her, Gamabunta came crashing down on the ancient building, his incredible weight snapping the foot-thick wooden columns that held the building upright as if they were nothing sturdier than matchsticks.

* * * * * *

"Go, now!" Neji shouted from his position about fifty feet to Naruto's left. The blond-haired teen had been waiting excitedly for the signal, and quickly performed the five hand seals that were the prerequisite for all summoning.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, perhaps a bit more loudly than he strictly had to. With a wrench of outpouring chakra, the gargantuan frog appeared beneath Naruto. He towered above the treetops, and was larger than even the castle that they had to assault.

"What's the plan, kid?" Gamabunta rumbled, his gravely voice betraying only a sliver of respect. Naruto had worked for years to gain even that from Gamabunta, an honor that not even the legendary Jiraiya had received. Out of that modicum of respect, Gamabunta would act before asking questions when Naruto summoned him, which was exactly what Naruto needed at this moment. The shock value that the toad boss would generate was considerable, but would be wasted if they didn't act quickly.

"Jump! On the castle!" Naruto shouted, and wedged himself between two particularly large warts on Gamabunta's head. The toad boss grunted his assent, and gathered himself for the jump. The great muscles and tendons in his rear legs creaked as he bunched them, sending an eerie echo through the woods. Then, Gamabunta leapt into the air, his trajectory taking him very high, but not very far. As Gamabunta reached the top of his arc, Naruto peered down at the castle below them. Shadowy figures, looking like ants at this height, were pouring out of the building below them. Naruto quickly realized that there were quite a few more than the twenty that Tsunade had predicted, and shouted at Gamabunta.

"Try not to crush the castle," Naruto shouted over the wind as they began to fall. "There might still be people inside!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gamabunta rumbled. "That's the whole point!" Naruto's eyes widened a bit; Gamabunta thought that this was a real assault. Naruto opened his mouth to shout at the toad boss again, but they were falling so quickly now that the rushing wind stole the air out of Naruto's lungs. He gulped another breath in and tried again.

"Training!" he managed to shout, and Gamabunta grunted beneath him. Less than a second later, the toad boss landed much harder than he usually did. Despite his best efforts, Gamabunta's own momentum pulled his body down into the castle. Beneath him, the sounds of gigantic pieces of wood snapping was clearly audible throughout the clearing. Still, the castle did not collapse, and Gamabunta stepped slowly over and away from it.

"Thanks, oyabun," Naruto breathed, still regaining his breath. Gamabunta grunted again.

"You're gonna get me killed one of these days, brat," the gigantic toad spat back, and Naruto tried not to look sheepish. Beneath the two of them, ninja ran from the badly damaged building and escaped into the forest, where Neji, Lee, and Iruka were waiting.

To his left, Naruto could see that Lee had managed to capture a jounin in his chains, and was now flailing him about as though he was an oversized morning star. His skin was a shade of bright red caused only by the Ura Renge. Naruto knew that, to his right, Neji would now be doing his best to take out individual jounin with his Jyuuken. Iruka had set dozens of traps in his sector, behind Naruto. A few surprised shouts told Naruto that they had claimed their first victims.

"Waddya want me to do now, kid?" Gamabunta asked seriously. Beneath him, many jounin had stopped fleeing and were beginning to organize a counterattack against the gigantic toad.

"Do what you can, but don't kill anyone," Naruto ordered. Gamabunta rumbled more deeply than usual in response, and Naruto very suddenly remembered his position. "Oyabun," he added, trying to make it sound like anything but the afterthought that it was. Gamabunta paid him no real mind; he was focused on the rather daunting task of causing major distress to a large number of jounin without actually injuring them. To his credit, the frog boss was stomping around his massive, webbed feet in a surprisingly careful fashion. He scattered jounin group after jounin group, but they always managed to re-form quickly. Even lone jounin, however, were beginning to mount attacks against the toad boss in surprisingly effective ways. Gamabunta's expansive flanks soon became an easy target for the quickly moving jounin. Powerful jutsus poured fire, lightning, and hails of kunai and shuriken onto the gigantic toad. Despite the fact that they were tiny in relation to his great girth, the thousands of injuries were beginning to mount up on Gamabunta.

"This isn't working," Gamabunta rumbled. Naruto had to agree; Gamabunta, unable to properly counterattack, had become a hundred-foot-tall target, and the jounin beneath him were taking full advantage of the fact. Quickly, Naruto crossed the first two fingers of his hands and called upon a most of his remaining chakra, as well as a goodly portion of what Kyuubi would offer.

"Kage Bunshin!" he shouted, and the entire clearing was covered in a thick explosion of ninja smoke. It slowly blew away, revealing thousands of clones. They covered Gamabunta's broad back completely, as well as almost every square foot of ground beneath him. Even still, there wasn't enough room for them all; even more clones hung from trees and prowled the edges of the forest. Still, not a single jounin was surprised by the sudden multiplication of their adversary. They set about the systematic destruction of the attacking clones with a level of efficiency that Naruto couldn't help but admire. Clones were caught in the flames of simple Goukakyu jutsus, unable to escape the killing fires because they were so tightly packed together. Gamabunta, however, was spared from the jounin while they dealt with the clones.

"What now, kid?" Gamabunta asked, accidentally crushing a dozen clones with a reflexive step backwards.

"I'm working on it," Naruto shouted, trying to think of anything that would aid them. The shadow clones had been an impulsive move, born from the need to protect Gamabunta. Now that he was able to take a moment to assess the situation, Naruto realized that Lee was gone, the jounin that he had used as a weapon laying on the ground senselessly. No more screams came from Iruka's section of the forest, and Naruto was fairly sure that Neji would be out of chakra by now, despite the fact that the teen's chakra reserves rivaled Naruto's own.

"This is bad. I think that everyone else is gone already," Naruto explained after a few minutes. Gamabunta rumbled his assent. Beneath them, the shadow clones had been reduced to a tenth their original number, and not a single jounin had fallen from the assault. One group of three had gathered directly beneath Gamabunta, where the gigantic toad couldn't see them. Two were pouring chakra into the third, who was doing his best to control it in order to perform the jutsu he needed to.

"I think you're right, kid, and I'm feeling pretty out of it myself," Gamabunta admitted after a moment, deigning to show weakness to the little human on his back. Naruto nodded; the giant toad was breathing heavily, and his movements revealed how much the thousands of little wounds had hurt him.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" a man called from beneath Gamabunta. The toad boss found himself flung up and away by the gigantic spatial distortion that the summoning had just generated. Naruto barely had time to leap away from his form before the toad crashed into the forest on his back. Gamabunta righted himself quickly, then cursed as the ninja smoke billowed away from the figure that had thrown him.

"Damn it, I'm too tired to deal with you," Gamabunta cursed, reaching around to grasp the sword he carried across his back. Towering in front of him was a gray-furred wolf, its bushy eyebrows framing a wizened old muzzle. Long mustaches hung from his muzzle, whitening as they pulled away from his face. The wolf was standing upright, his rear paws resting on a pair of immense geta sandals. He was dressed in the garb of a samurai, pressed to crisp perfection. His pants were black, and his outer kimono was a dark shade of blue usually only seen on royalty. Beneath it, he wore a crisp, white kimono, barely visible beneath the outer kimono. Cinched at his belt were a pair of blades, one significantly longer than the other. Stamped on the left breast of his kimono were the characters for 'wolf' and 'man,' surrounded by circles.

"Gamabunta," the gigantic wolf said, inclining his head a bit in respect. His left front paw rested lightly on the hilt of his katana, and was slowly distorting into a rather human-like hand.

"Been a long time, Ookamijin," Gamabunta replied, returning the wolf's gesture of respect. There was no love lost between the two, but a degree of respect was warranted when confronted with the head of a rival tribe.

"Not long enough, in my humble opinion. I see that you still bear the scar from our last encounter," Ookamijin said in an exceedingly polite taunt. Gamabunta winced, knowing that the long slash mark was easily visible along the left side of his face. Ookamijin had come very close to taking his eye that time.

"Feh," Gamabunta replied with an amphibian's grin. "I came out ahead in that fight. Your balls are still pickling in a jar on my mantle," the toad taunted. It wasn't entirely true, but he had castrated the giant wolf in retaliation for the rather obvious scar that now adorned his face. Naruto, meanwhile, had managed to hide himself where he could still see the two behemoths. He was impressed with Ookamijin; he'd never summoned the wolf shogun, though he knew that he probably could, if he had to. Naruto much preferred Gamabunta and the toads, though he could never really figure out why.

"Scum," Ookamijin spat, anger aflame in his eyes. His paws had transformed into hairy human's hands, and he now grasped the hilt of his katana in his left hand. With a smooth motion, he drew it, then extended the blade in a very traditional kendo stance. Gamabunta's blade leapt out of its sheath, but the toad boss edged away from the wolf. Many of the jounin around the two had stopped searching for Naruto to watch the two legends fight.

"Your kind should have been wiped from the earth generations ago!" Ookamijin growled, slashing hard at Gamabunta. The toad boss jumped to the side and deflected the blade. Had he been at his full strength, he could have managed a stab at Ookamijin's leg, but his wounds caught him as he was about to. Instead, the toad boss backed away slowly, keeping his blade between him and the wolf shogun. Ookamijin turned quickly to face Gamabunta again. Anger was still in his eyes, but so too was cunning now.

"You're not fighting like you normally do," the wolf observed, slowly shuffling forward, his geta dragging wide furrows in the ground. He slashed again, and Gamabunta blocked the strike with his sword. The two locked swords and glared at each other. Eventually, Gamabunta slipped, and Ookamijin's sword slid down and off his blade.

"Sorry, but ya caught me at a bad time, samurai. I'm outta here," Gamabunta rumbled as his form blurred, then disappeared. Ookamijin snarled a bit, then sheathed his blade. After a few moments, he too vanished. Naruto turned to run, but was struck hard on the back of his head. He pitched face-first into the tree's trunk, and darkness claimed him.

* * * * * *

"All right, let's close it up for the night," a chuunin called quietly. He was crouched on top of Konoha's Eastern gate, which he was charged with guarding. A few voices returned their acknowledgement of his order, and the almost-silent shinobi set about closing the massive oaken gates. In the bright light of a full moon, hanging low overhead, they were barely visible, and the man smiled at their skill, even when performing such a mundane task as this.

"Excuse me, young man," a woman's voice intruded upon his reverie. It carried the weight of decades of age, and the guard looked down the wall, trying to trace the voice to its source. Standing near the closing gates was an elderly woman, leaning on a bamboo staff for support.

"What is it, ma'am?" he asked, hopping down from the wall. The woman had to be over sixty, and such age was regarded with profound respect in Konoha.

"I'd like to leave, if it's not too terribly much trouble," she explained, pointing at the gates with her right hand. It shook slightly as she held it aloft, a subtle sign of arthritis.

"It's dangerous out, ma'am. You might get hurt," the guard said, trying to argue his case as diplomatically as he could. While citizens of Konoha were allowed to leave the village whenever they wanted, the gate's guards made every effort they could to dissuade anyone from leaving after dark. Proximity to a hidden village tended to lead to a brand of highwaymen far more skilled than the average brigand, so nighttime travel was quite dangerous until one was a good distance from Konoha.

"I'll be fine, young man. I was a ninja once, you know," she replied, good-natured laughter lilting just behind her words. The guard shook his head, then nodded to his companions. The gate was cracked a few feet, just enough for one person to exit.

"If you change your mind, just call out. The night shift'll open up for you," the guard said as the woman slipped through the gates. Outside, she paused a minute, then turned to address him.

"I won't," she said flatly, all merriment gone from her voice. The moon shone down on her carefully controlled head of what was once blue hair. Now, it was mostly gray. For the first time, the woman stood up straight, and any impression of frailness that she might once have exuded vanished. Taut muscles rippled under wrinkled skin, and a look of grim determination adorned the woman's aged face. The guard suppressed a shudder of apprehension, but the woman turned and walked away from the village.

"Close the gate," he ordered, turning his back on them. Behind him, his subordinates scurried to comply. A few of them conversed quietly with one another, but the head guard paid them no mind. After only a moment's hesitation, he began his journey home, to try and wash the unpleasant meeting from his memory.

* * * * * *

"We could be there tonight," Dontou growled, crouching next to a small fire. Itachi sat near him, and stared into the flames blankly, his face betraying no emotion.

"Masako-sama ordered me to be there tomorrow. I will be there tomorrow; no earlier," Itachi replied simply, his quiet, even tone grating on Dontou's already-frayed nerves.

"And you're just a mindless doll that does whatever she wants," Dontou sniped, exasperation finally getting the best of him. Traveling all day with the utterly silent Uchiha was hard; Kisame's unvoiced hatred had made it immeasurably worse.

"I perform Masako-sama's will," Itachi replied, his eyes narrowing fractionally. Dontou was inwardly surprised at this; it was the first time that he'd ever seen Itachi display emotion on any level.

"Like some puppet with invisible strings," Dontou pressed, hoping to crack Itachi's facade. "You know damn well that you'll do anything that she tells you to."

"Shut up," Itachi ordered flatly, his eyes narrowing a bit more.

"You're a prisoner," Dontou realized aloud, laughing in incredulity. Itachi's eyes narrowed again, and the immensely dangerous man rose to his feet slowly. "You're a prisoner to her will. You don't actually want to do what she says." Suddenly, Dontou's limbs locked up. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't so much as twitch a finger. Itachi's Sharingan eyes whirled quickly, and Dontou could make out the slightly bulging cheek muscles that indicated a tightly clenched jaw. Itachi rose and approached Dontou slowly.

"If you ever," Itachi began, the word 'ever' clearly emphasized, "speak of this again, your death will be the most awe-inspiring work of art that a torturer could ever hope to see. Do you understand?" Dontou nodded dumbly, and could suddenly move again. Itachi turned, walked back over to the fallen tree that he'd been sitting on, and assumed the exact position that he'd been in before Dontou had spoken to him. Visibly shaken, Dontou turned back to the fire.

"We have a visitor," Kisame called from the darkness around the camp. He had been standing watch, a necessity this close to a hidden village. Into the fire's light walked the gigantic man himself. Following him was an elderly woman who was using a bamboo staff as a walking stick. Itachi and Dontou immediately stood.

"Masako-sama," Itachi said, then bowed. Dontou said nothing, but he didn't bow either. "It's been years since I've seen your true form."

"It's been nearly that long since you've seen me at all," she replied coolly. "This mess with your brother has grown too large, and it's mostly your fault."

"I apologize, Masako-sama. I felt that it needed to be done," Itachi said, straightening. Masako shook her head.

"Well," she began, squatting next to the fire. "He's proven to be far too troublesome. I cannot control him." Itachi's lips pressed together fractionally, darkening his already severe face. "You know what this means. I can't have another Shijuukaigan user running around without my supervision," she continued after a long minute of silence.

"There is no other way?" Itachi asked, his voice seeming to strain slightly. Masako glanced over at him, an expression of mild surprise on her face.

"No," she replied, turning back to the fire. "And I want you to do it. Personally."

"Yes… Masako-sama," Itachi nodded, his voice clearly straining. Masako shook her head at the Uchiha's inner conflict. She knew, however, that he would always follow any orders that she gave him. He'd lost the capacity to disobey at age seven.

"So…" Masako trailed off, finally glancing in Dontou's direction. "What are you doing here?"

"Keeping an eye on him," Dontou explained with a slight shrug. "After a four year absence, the rest of Akatsuki is rather… concerned, shall we say, with his status. They asked me to watch him for a while."

"I have him under control," Masako replied icily.

"The rest of us are not nearly so confident, Masako. Nor are we very confident with you," Dontou returned, his tone just as icy as Masako's had been. "And I take it from your earlier conversation that your plan to recruit another Uchiha to the organization has failed." Masako's eyes narrowed, but she made no move towards him. "I hope you have a backup plan. The organization has already called for a vote of no confidence. If you return empty-handed, you'll likely be voted down." Dontou paused for a moment, to allow this to sink in, then continued in a tone filled with sarcasm, "And what a tragedy that would be."

The blade of Masako's shikomi-zue was resting on Dontou's Adam's apple before he'd even finished his sentence. He closed his eyes briefly and clenched his jaw; he hadn't even seen Masako grab her weapon, much less draw it. As he reopened his eyes, he saw that the only part of the woman that had moved was her right arm, which was clutching the shikomi-zue. Masako was still staring deeply into the little fire that Itachi had made earlier that evening.

"You will address me," she said slowly, without a hint of emotion. "With the respect I am due as the head of the organization. Am I clear?"

"Perfectly, Masako-sama," Dontou replied, and she shikomi-zue was suddenly gone. Once again, he hadn't been able to see it move, but in the blink of an eye, Masako had re-sheathed the weapon and laid it at her side. Dontou allowed himself an involuntary shudder. He knew that Masako had a backup plan; she always had a backup plan. Dontou feared the woman. He feared her even more than he feared Itachi. While she might not have the level of combat prowess that Itachi did, she was a relentless planner, and a brilliant tactician.

And it was a 'might,' concerning her physical capabilities. Masako had risen to power by defeating every other member of the Akatsuki organization in single combat. Most fights hadn't even been close. /If there was someone out there that could beat Itachi,/ Dontou reasoned, /It'd be Masako./

* * * * * *

Naruto groaned a bit as he forced his eyes open. Above him, he could make out the dim shapes of ceiling tiles. This made him groan again; he knew a hospital ceiling when he saw one, and his pocketbook suddenly began to hurt more than his head.

"Welcome back," Sakura's voice greeted him. Naruto rolled his head to the left, where he'd heard her voice coming from.

"Who got me?" he asked around his pounding headache.

"Genma. He brought you in too," Sakura explained, smiling faintly. She was sitting next to his bed, and looked like she'd been sleeping there.

"Damn," Naruto cursed good-naturedly. Sakura laughed at him quietly, and Naruto smiled at her merriment.

"You've got a concussion, so try not to move around a lot," Sakura told him. Naruto screwed up his face, then sat up.

"No I don't. If I did, I'd be throwing up right now," he said, referencing his rather swift rise. "It's just a bad headache." Sakura shook in silent laughter at Naruto's simple, yet effective, diagnosis. "Who made it out?" he asked after she got herself under control.

"Neji and Lee. They caught Iruka while he was trying to escape, and I didn't make it out of the castle before they caught me," Sakura told him. Naruto nodded, understanding.

"Who summoned Ookamijin?" he asked after a minute of thought.

"Genma," Sakura replied. At Naruto's look of surprise, she continued, "He had two people helping him."

"Oh," Naruto said intelligently. Sakura nodded, and they fell silent. Her face was downcast, and her expression dark. "What is it?" he finally asked.

"Tsunade-sama told me that the Anbu have spotted Itachi near the village. He's come for Sasuke," she explained, looking up. "She's decided to let Itachi kill him."

"Damn it," Naruto cursed, clenching his fist.

"She's ordered us not to interfere," Sakura continued, a tear shimmering down her cheek. Naruto clenched his jaw for a long moment.

"Fuck that," he finally decided, pulling himself out of bed. Sakura looked up at him in surprise. Naruto walked over to the room's closet, grabbed his pants from the day before, and pulled them on. Sakura blushed a bit at Naruto's state of undress, but didn't look away from the boxer-clad teenager.

"I'm gonna go save his ass. Again," Naruto declared, pulling on an undershirt and his jacket. Sakura stood and took a few steps towards him. Before she could get close, however, Naruto walked over to the door and yanked it open. Outside, Lee and Neji stood.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lee asked good-naturedly.

"I'm gonna go and make sure that Sasuke doesn't get killed by his brother," Naruto said firmly.

"Tsunade-sama instructed us to keep you from doing anything brash," Neji said off-handedly. Naruto could see that he was adjusting his stance a bit, to be less at ease.

"I don't give a damn. Sasuke's a Leaf shinobi and my comrade. I'm gonna save his ass, even if it means kicking both of yours," Naruto shouted, Kyuubi's chakra held just below the surface.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Neji grinned, his milky-white eyes narrowing with anticipation. Neji pushed himself off of the wall, then held out a kunai holster and supplies pouch. "You're going to need these if you're really planning on doing anything against Itachi." Stunned, Naruto accepted the supplies and strapped them to his leg and belt, respectively.

"All right!" Lee declared, pumping his fist in the air. "Let's go kick some Akatsuki ass!"

"Huh?" Naruto responded, his surprise deepening.

"We're Leaf shinobi too. We feel the same as you do," Neji grinned, crossing his arms. Naruto glanced from Neji to Lee, then back again.

"Thanks, guys," Naruto said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Neji just smirked, and Lee offered him a thumbs-up. Without further ado, the three of them charged out of the hospital in search of Sasuke. Behind them, Sakura trailed, keeping up as best she could.

* * * * * *

Tsunade grinned softly and rose slowly from her seated position. She walked over to the door of the room she'd been sitting in quietly for the last few hours, opened it, and exited in to the central hallway of Konoha's only hospital. Only two rooms away, the door to Naruto's room was still ajar.

"It's human nature," she grinned to herself. "The best way to get a group of people to do something is to tell them that they can't."

*** Author's Notes ***

Wow. It's been a LONG while, hasn't it? Well, I apologize, guys. My life's kinda turned upside down lately here, so I'm still adjusting. With my readjustment to summer life (and overnight work schedules), my time and will to write have been sapped. Fear not; Genin WILL be finished. Hopefully by the end of the month. But don't hold me to it.

So… yeah. I did a lot in this chapter. You can all read that I did a lot in this chapter. Subsequently, I'm not going to bother discussing what I did in this chapter, as it is currently 6:34 in the morning, and I have just finished an 8-hour shift at work. I'm tired. So sue me.

Anyway, I'm gonna present a number of fanfic ideas in the authors notes of the next chapter. Each of you will pick which one you want me to write, then e-mail me (privately, please) with your picks. I'm saying this now so that next chapter, when people screw up and whine, I can point to this. So there. Good night, all.

As a side note, I'd like to also admit that Disgaea has consumed my life.

A very drowsy

~Flash () -_-…..zzzzzZZZZZZZ

The Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Rhodes to the Past," by Fatty Acid. This is a wicked good Chrono Trigger remix. Go get it. NOW. It's seriously that good. Find it at ().

Character Themes:

Sorry, none this chapter. Dontou's the only guy left, and he doesn't get his for another chapter or two.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Thirteen: Loyalty

Sasuke's right hand twitched. It had been twitching for days. Sasuke knew why it twitched; it ached to be drenched in the blood of his enemies. He had been suppressing its desire for three days, but he was smiling. Now, finally, it would come to an end. Now, he would kill Itachi, and would again bathe in the blood of the wretched. His release was so close that he could taste it.

"You've come to me," Sasuke called, his Sharingan eyes spinning excitedly. Early morning's light bathed the psychotic teen in golden hues as he crouched atop a fruit stand in Konoha's central marketplace. Here, the streets were wide, and walled with tall buildings. He had chosen this site with care; there was hardly a better arena in all of Konoha.

Across the marketplace, the cloaked form of his older brother stood silently. He was not a tall man, no taller than Sasuke, now that the young Uchiha had passed through puberty. Itachi wore his cloak open, making no effort to disguise himself. Even across the marketplace, Sasuke could see his brother's Sharingan eyes whirling slowly, with interest.

"I've come to kill you," Itachi returned, his tone measured and even. He began to walk towards Sasuke. Behind him, three figures of varying height followed him, each shrouded in a cloak identical to his own. Unlike the Uchiha prodigy, they took great care not to allow their cloaks to open or their faces to show from underneath the conical, wooden sakkat that each of them wore. Those few bystanders that were in the marketplace at this early hour scrambled away from the four. The naked killing intent that they exuded was palpable even to common folk.

"Semantics," Sasuke purred, licking his lips. He grabbed one of the fruit stand's supporting poles and slid down, landing lightly on the marketplace's cobbles. The young Uchiha had eyes only for his brother, and walked towards the older man with avarice in his eyes and a barely restrained spring to his step. Still, he walked no faster than Itachi; Sasuke wanted to savor this.

The two, by a mutual, unspoken agreement, stopped ten meters from one another. The three behind Itachi stopped a little further back, but easily close enough to jump in, should they so desire. Sasuke's right foot worked itself against the cobbles of the marketplace, trying idly to get better footing. Quickly and easily Itachi shrugged off his cloak and slid into an easy fighting stance. The heavy black fabric pooled around his feet as his brother fell into an aggressive stance across from him.

"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" someone suddenly shouted. Sasuke cursed beneath his breath and glanced behind him. Itachi glanced too, more out of courtesy to his brother than real interest. He wouldn't begin this fight, of all fights, without his opponent on equal footing.

"Four against one aint exactly fair, is it?" Naruto continued, his arms crossed. Behind him, Neji and Lee regarded the three behind Itachi. Neji had already activated his Byakugan, and was wearing a confident smile with the ease of one who is used to victory. Lee was simply grinning with anticipation.

"I got the big one," Lee declared softly, his voice audible only to his companions.

"Ugh. I'll take the one in the middle," Neji noted, his voice laced with disgust. "It looks like he hasn't shaved in a week."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke demanded, his eyes wild, as Naruto walked up to him. The blond-haired boy patted him easily on the shoulder and regarded hid old teammate with a smirk before responding.

"We're here to help, even if you don't want it. You can kill me later if you want, but," Naruto said, his grin falling a bit. "You're our comrade. We'll stand by you, no matter what. Besides, those three look like they want to jump in on your brother's fight." Sasuke snarled at Naruto for a long minute before finally shaking his head.

"I don't give a damn what you do, as long as Itachi is mine," the raven-haired boy demanded, returning his attention to Itachi. "I've waited my entire life for this moment. I'll slaughter anyone that gets in the way."

"Fair enough," Naruto nodded, cracking his knuckles. The blond-haired boy had been searching for Sasuke for two hours now, and had found the raven-haired boy just in time. His adrenalin was up, and Naruto couldn't help but grin in excitement. He'd be fighting against an Akatsuki member, one of quite possibly the finest fighters in the world. Lee shared the blond-haired boy's excitement, and for the same reason.

"Let's go!" Lee shouted, bounding suddenly towards the tallest of the three figures behind Itachi. The anticipation of the fight had become too much for the wide-eyed youth to resist, it seemed. Neji had reacted quickly, and charged toward the figure in the middle of the triad. Naruto, having a meter's head start on the two, was able to keep pace with Lee, despite the dark-haired boy's head start.

"Scatter!" Naruto's target shouted in an authoritarian, yet undeniably female voice. The three leapt off in different directions. The tall one, with Lee in hot pursuit, ran back the way they had come. Neji's target broke right and bounded over the buildings surrounding the marketplace. The white-eyed boy followed at a measured pace, allowing his target to choose the battlefield. Naruto's target charged left, and down a side alley; Naruto followed her as fast as he could. A few hundred meters behind the pack, Sakura sighed, then chased off after Naruto, still trying to keep up.

"And then there was one," Sasuke taunted, his voice lilting faintly with the undertones of laughter. The marketplace seemed to be echoingly devoid of inhabitants now.

"Your friends are going to die," Itachi stated grimly as he regarded Sasuke dispassionately.

"So? You'll die today, and then I'll bathe this city in blood. Your friends will even kill my biggest problems for me," Sasuke replied, his wild grin growing. "My only regret is that I won't be able to torture that blond-haired brat myself."

"Shall we begin, then?" Itachi asked, his face expressionless. Sasuke wondered if he had heard a note of anticipation in his brother's voice.

"Absolutely," Sasuke grinned, then charged forward. A kunai appeared in his right hand, and he slung a brace of shuriken to his brother's right with his left hand. Itachi slid to his left, as Sasuke had desired. However, Itachi seemed to fade around Sasuke's strikes like smoke when the younger Uchiha closed to melee range. Unable to land a strike, Sasuke fell back, a grin of pure euphoria on his face. Itachi locked eyes with his brother, both sets of Sharingan eyes whirling quickly.

"Mange Sharingan!" Itachi declared suddenly, activating his most powerful genjutsu. Sasuke's eyes widened in the instant before the Mange Sharingan took him. "Relive the slaughter of our family for the next seventy-two hours," Itachi commanded, directing the immensely powerful genjutsu. Sasuke slumped forward, but caught himself before he fell. Slowly, he straightened.

"Ahhhh," Sasuke sighed, his eyes more wild than ever. "I wonder why I never noticed the beauty of the melody that our parents made with their screams before? A work of art, brother." Itachi's eyes widened in honest surprise. Then slowly, for the first time in nearly twenty years, Itachi smiled. It was a horrid thing, twisted with years of madness and enslavement.

"Let's finish this," Itachi grinned, wearing almost the exact same expression as his brother.

* * * * * *

Neji stalked his target as might a predator tracking some special, yet dangerous prey. There was caution in his step, but a certain eagerness as well. Neji respected the man's skill already; his Byakugan revealed well over a hundred of weapons secreted around his target's body. Neji would have thought it impossible to move as easily as he did, considering the spacing and placement of so many sharp edges.

The two were leaving the city proper. Ahead of them, Neji noted a small bridge, capped with a series of red-painted ceremonial gates. It was the area that the jounin exam had begun in two days ago, and he was intimately familiar with it. Nearby was one of his favorite training spots, a small clearing with plenty of cover for a training partner to hide in. The unshaven man slowed to a stop, then turned to face Neji. He stood at the far end of the bridge, and reached around his back for a weapon. With his Byakugan eyes, Neji saw him grab one of two fuuma shuriken that he had strapped across his back. By the time Neji landed on the opposite end of the bridge, the unshaven man had extended the weapon and fastened it to a specially made knob one his right glove. He looked up and, noticing Neji's presence, pulled off his sakkat.

"You are trespassing on Konoha soil. Leave or die," Neji demanded in an even tone. The man smirked, and reached for his second fuuma shuriken.

"You're an impolite little prick, aren't you?" the man smirked, snapping his fuuma shuriken to its full stature. "Didn't even ask me my name. I feel insulted," he mocked, putting a hand to his chest and sticking out his lower lip.

"Fine, then. Who are you?" Neji sighed, rolling his eyes. This man disgusted him; his mockery of etiquette and lack of cleanliness made Neji's skin crawl.

"Kenkino Dontou, eighth of nine in Akatsuki," the uncouth man grinned, snapping the second fuuma shuriken to his left clove. Neji saw chakra surge into his arms, and the blades began to spin rapidly, quickly blurring past the speed at which even his eyes could detect individual blades.

"Kenkino?" Neji asked with a chuckle. "You made that up, didn't you?"

"Shut the hell up, you little brat!" Dontou shouted, pointing at Neji, who simply smirked in reply. In a rage-inspired flash, Dontou attacked, covering the distance between himself and Neji in the blink of an eye. Only his Byakugan saved him from the potentially disemboweling swing that Dontou made with the fuuma shuriken spinning on his right arm. Neji ducked the attack, then leapt away as quickly as he could. Dontou smirked for a minute before straightening.

"Fuuma Sastsujinsha," he gloated as Neji backed away. He could see that the blades of the shuriken had slashed cleanly through one of the red-painted gates when Dontou had attacked.

/He's faster than I am,/ Neji grimaced internally as he carefully assessed the situation. /Not by too much, but enough to put a longer match clearly in his favor. He's also got much greater reach than I do with those shuriken. I need to end this./ Working quickly, Neji backed away from Dontou, a plan forming in his mind.

"Running away?" Dontou taunted, and Neji had to check his own emotions. Dontou was better than he was; Neji needed every advantage he could get. "It's not going to get you anywhere." Again, Neji saw chakra surge down his arms, but there was a great deal more this time. "Perfect range for my best move, though," Dontou grinned, crossing his arms. How he kept the still-spinning shuriken from striking each other or his own flesh was a mystery to Neji.

"Kazeton: Fuuma Gufuu!" Dontou shouted, casting his arms toward Neji. The fuuma shuriken shot towards the long-haired boy, who dodged wildly to avoid them. As he did, Neji noticed chakra strings leading back to Dontou. Then, the shuriken were past, and arcing away from him. Still coming down from his earlier dodge, Neji barely had time to react as the air around him was filled with all manner of swords, kunai, and small shuriken. Dontou had filled the air with every weapon his had been carrying, each attached to him by a thin chakra string. Frantically, Neji poured chakra out of his entire body, and spun.

"Kaiten!" he shouted as he spun, deflecting almost all of the weapons. Still, a kunai managed to slip through his defenses to slash his left leg just as the Kaiten ended. Neji clutched the wound and cursed, recognizing that the kunai had cut deeply before he'd managed to knock it away. Around him, weapons flew up and returned to Dontou, who had already reattached his fuuma shuriken to his gloves.

"Nice," Dontou complimented even as he managed to sound insulting. "But I can keep doing this all day. How long can you deflect all of them?"

"Just fight," Neji demanded, lacing his voice with a false hint of desperation. /There's an opening there, right after he's thrown his weapons,/ he thought, watching Dontou intently. /Not enough for Rokujuuyonshou, but more than enough for 'it.'/

"Sounds like a plan!" Dontou crowed, crossing his arms again. With a primal roar and a cry of, "Fuuma Gufuu," he threw his arms forward once more, the gigantic fuuma shuriken detaching smoothly from his gloves and curving straight towards Neji. Instead of maneuvering to dodge them, however, Neji charged forward. At the last possible second, he threw himself down, the lethal shuriken whirling past mere centimeters above his head.

"Jyuuken!" Neji shouted, pushing himself into the air with a handspring. As he flew, he twisted his body, spinning into an aerial Kaiten. His spin axis was wrong, however; Neji's body was parallel to the ground, which left a miniscule area between his feet where a weapon could penetrate. Neji braced himself in preparation as he spun, knowing that the Kaiten would only minimize the damage that Dontou's attack would inflict. As he expected, a kunai flew upwards, between his legs, and embedded itself in his left armpit. It barely missed the arm's main muscle group; had it struck, Neji's left arm would be useless. Several shuriken made their way through the defense as well, tearing long gashes along Neji's body.

"Hakke!" Neji continued, landing. Dontou's storm of weapons was passed, and nothing remained between the Hyuuga prodigy and an unarmed and suddenly panicked Akatsuki member. Ignoring the pain that he felt all over his body, Neji dashed forward, in between Dontou's arms. The Akatsuki member was caught flat-footed, having never seen any attack of the like before.

"Shishou!" Neji cried triumphantly. "One strike!" he continued, slapping Dontou directly over his heart. "One strike!" This was accompanied by a slap to Dontou's belly, just above his navel. "Two strikes," he shouted, half turning. Neji carefully tagged the man's right shoulder, then struck his head forcefully with an open-handed strike. "Four strikes!" Neji finished, again striking each of the tenketsu he'd struck before. Dountou stumbled back a half step, and his weapons, still returning to him, fell to the ground in a great cacophony of metal striking hard-packed earth. Neji breathed out once, slowly.

"This is the Hyuuga clan's ultimate technique," Neji explained after a moment, carefully controlling his breathing. "It is why we are known as the most powerful in the Leaf."

"What… What did you…?" Dontou choked out, falling to his knees.

"I have struck your four primary tenketsu twice. Your death is now a certainty," Neji stated simply as Dontou lost the ability to support himself, even while sitting. The Akatsuki member writhed weakly on the bridge's planks. "The pain you feel now is caused by the destruction of the four tenketsu that direct chakra around your body. The heart tenketsu, above your heart, directs chakra in the left side of your chest. The body tenketsu, on the inside of your right shoulder, does the same for the right half of your body. Your soul tenketsu, near your navel, controls chakra flow in your legs, and the mind tenketsu on your forehead directs chakra around your brain. My first strike closed those points. My second destroyed them."

"Without them," Neji continued, taking a shaky step closer to Dontou's barely twitching form, "Your chakra control system is overloading. This is causing the cells around them to die from chakra poisoning. From this point, the chakra will continue to destroy your body's cells in a cascade effect until you are completely out of chakra, or all the cells in your body have exploded."

/The drawback, of course,/ Neji thought to himself, /is how much chakra it takes to perform the Shishou. Using a chakra overload to destroy tenketsu that were designed to handle a great amount of chakra is nearly impossible, even for me. I'm completely exhausted./

"But… I was…" Dontou trailed off, his breath catching in his throat. Neji could see the chain reaction of the chakra overload was beginning its critical phase; Dontou had almost no time left.

"Stronger? You were," Neji nodded sagely, trying to keep the exhaustion and pain that he so acutely felt from his face.

"How?" Dontou croaked, obviously the last word that he would be able to form.

"You underestimated me. Never underestimate a Hyuuga," Neji stated simply, emphasizing 'never.' By then, Dontou had stopped breathing. Seconds later, he was dead, the chakra cascade having reached the craven man's heart.

Reeling from pain and exhaustion and pain, and not having any chakra to suppress the effects of either, Neji fell to the bridge next to Dontou's corpse and into the blissful embrace of unconsciousness.

* * * * * *

"Damn, she's fast," Naruto cursed under his breath. His target had divested herself of her cloak and sakkat immediately after he'd begun to chase after her. She was blue-haired, clad in street clothes, and very, very fast. It was all that Naruto could do simply to keep her from getting away from him. Behind him, Sakura was slowly and steadily falling behind, despite the fact that she was putting every scrap of energy she still had into keeping up with the two.

Finally, the woman leapt down from the rooftops that she'd been leaping across. Almost immediately, she had left the city proper, and entered the wide plains that separated the settled area of Konoha from most of Konoha's training areas, such as the Forest of Death. The plains were littered with giant boulders, thrown from Mount Konoha when it was still an active volcano. The ancient granite still held sharp edges from the ancient eruption. The plains were referred to as the 'shattered lands' by most of Konoha's inhabitants for this feature, even though the moniker was far from official.

Once she'd gotten a good distance into the open plains, the woman hopped on top of a particularly large boulder, then turned to face Naruto. He stopped a few meters away, trying to disguise the fact that his breathing was somewhat labored from the furiously fast chase that he'd just completed.

"Bad luck, kiddo," she grinned, her staff held in place between her hand and the crook of her shoulder. To be honest, it was a rather cliché pose, a fact which she seemed to be oblivious to. "You chose the wrong woman to pick a fight with," she said simply, not moving from her position on the rock.

"Who the hell are you, and why are you trying to kill Sasuke?" Naruto demanded, fingering a kunai. The woman's eyes narrowed as she regarded Naruto for a moment.

"I am Toru Masako, and your friend will die because he's become an inconvenience to me," she replied icily. "Now you too have become an inconvenience. Enjoy the afterlife, demon spawn," Masako declared, rushing towards Naruto.

"Demon spawn?" Sakura wondered aloud from about a hundred meters away, having heard only Masako's final line.

* * * * * *

"You really shouldn't run away from others," Lee taunted, skidding to a halt in front of Kisame. "It's impolite." Kisame stopped, then took a step back. He'd barely gotten out of the marketplace before Lee had caught up with him, and the boy's sheer speed already had him mildly unnerved. A second glance at the boy made him crease his forehead in concentration.

"Thick eyebrows, bowl haircut, dopey look," he mused aloud, fingering the hilt of the gigantic sword he wore strapped across his back. "Haven't I fought you before?"

"I do not look dopey!" Lee exclaimed, pointing a finger at the towering man. Kisame's sakkat had been knocked back by an errant gust of wind, exposing his pale, shark-like complexion. "Besides, you're a fine one to talk, Mr. pale face," Lee countered smugly.

/Was that supposed to be an insult?/ Kisame wondered, then shrugged. Instead, he said, "I don't really care. You've pissed me off, which means that you're shark bait." With a soft grunt of effort, Kisame levered his sword over his shoulder, interposing it between himself and Lee.

"Shark bait? That reminds me of something…" Lee thought aloud, not paying any attention whatsoever to Kisame's preparations. With a growl of annoyance, Kisame stepped forward and swung his fabric-wrapped zanbatou in a vicious overhead cleave. It crashed into the ground, but somehow managed to miss Lee, who was standing just to the left of the blade. The black-haired boy reached into his back pocket and pulled out a little booklet, then began to leaf through it.

"Pay attention!" Kisame roared, yanking his zanbatou up and swinging it crosswise. Lee was clearly in range of the weapon this time. However, when Kisame recovered from the slash, the teenager had managed to move himself just out of range. /Damn,/ Kisame thought with a grimace. /This brat is fast. He hasn't even raised any chakra yet, so my samehada isn't doing anything./

"Ah, here it is! Gai-sensei fought a big man named Kisame four years ago. It says here that he looked like a shark," Lee read, still not looking up at his opponent. Kisame took a few steps back and glanced around while Lee continued to study his little booklet. "You're Kisame, aren't you?" Lee asked, putting it away.

"Yeah. Who the hell are you, brat?" he replied, locating what he was looking for. /Thank God they run their water pipes on the outsides of their buildings here,/ he thought with an internal grin. /In fact,/ he realized, /This place is a pretty favorable battleground for me./

"I'm Rock Lee, the beautiful green beast of Konoha!" Lee declared, striking a dramatic pose. Kisame blinked once in surprise, then shook his head.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, brat? This isn't a manga or something. You look like an idiot," Kisame chuckled, grasping his sword with both hands. The speed boost that he'd gain from doing so was negligible, but he was determined to teach this kid a fatal lesson, if simply to satisfy his sense of aesthetics.

"Shut up!" Lee shouted, then charged forward, moving even faster than he had been before. Kisame's eyes widened, and he swung his sword crosswise, hoping to catch Lee unawares. The boy, it seemed, was displaying a measure of intelligence. Instead of attacking directly, Lee was circling Kisame at speeds almost faster than he could see. Deciding to take the offensive, Kisame stepped forward and slashed crosswise again. As he did so, the samehada covering his sword was shredded as hundreds razor-sharp scales threw themselves into forty-five degree angles with the main blade. Kisame was slashing opposite to the direction he knew Lee to be running in.

Instead, as he was almost halfway through his swing, he felt a vicious kick impact his gut. Kisame was thrown into the air, and couldn't quite hold on to his zanbatou. It clattered to the ground, while Lee continued a vicious kicking combo centered on his midsection. Once he was suspended a good twenty feet in the air, Kisame felt the kicking suddenly stop. The characteristic clinking sound of heavy chains were his only warning as Lee moved to complete his combo. Kisame soon found his arms and legs bound in heavy chains, and cursed aloud as Lee threw them into a headfirst spin towards the ground.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn!" Kisame shouted as he plummeted earthwards.

"Omote Renge!" Lee declared shortly thereafter, as Kisame's tightly bound body crashed into the cobblestone street. Lee was flung away, the ends of his chains training after him. Slowly, the smoke plume thrown up by the technique's completion blew away, revealing Kisame, half-buried in the middle of the street. His arms twitched, then twitched again as Lee watched from a crouch a few meters away. Then they firmly planted themselves on either side of the hole in which Kisame's upper body had been buried. With a firm shove, Kisame pulled himself from the impact crater. Water shot in a great spout out from the hole, likely the result of a broken water main. His head was at an unnatural angle in relation to his neck, and his collarbone was clearly broken, from how badly his shoulders were sagging.

"You're still alive?" Lee exclaimed in surprise. Kisame snorted once, then snapped the right half of his collarbone into its proper alignment. The left half followed quickly. Then, the shark-like man placed both of his hands on his head and, with an awful sound of snapping and scraping bone, forcibly returned his head to its proper place and alignment.

"A little fact about sharks, kid: we're made up more of cartilage than bone," Kisame grinned, grabbing the hilt of his sword.

"What do you mean?" Lee asked, trying to buy time. His body ached from using omote renge, and the dark-haired boy knew that, if Kisame were as uninjured as he seemed, things had just gotten considerably worse for him.

"Cartilage. It's the same stuff your nose is made of," Kisame explained, hefting his sword and resting it on a shoulder. He winced a bit when he did so, but the shoulder held the rather considerable weight of the blade without collapsing. "It's tough, like bone, but a whole lot more flexible. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm somewhat unique, genetically speaking. Most of my skeletal structure is cartilage, instead of bone. It's also a lot more flexible than normal cartilage is."

"No way!" Lee exclaimed, amazed. /This is bad,/ he thought. /It seems like renge hurt me more than it hurt him./

"Hell yeah," Kisame chuckled, flashing a toothy grin at Lee. "Anyway, it makes it almost impossible to actually break any of the important parts of my skeletal structure, which makes pretty tricks like that lotus thing much less effective. In fact, if I'm reading you right, it hurt you a hell of a lot more than it hurt me." Lee gritted his teeth and pushed himself to assume a standing, albeit defensive posture. His entire body felt like it was on fire, as it did every time he used renge.

"So," Kisame began, pulling off his cloak. Underneath it, he wore a skin-tight blue body suit. Beneath it, huge muscles rippled, even as he made the slightest move. "Can we get back to the fight now?" he asked, grinning excitedly. Without waiting for a reply, Kisame charged forward, slashing crosswise with his sword. Lee managed to dodge it, but his muscles protested every move he made, slowing him greatly. He cursed himself silently that he'd left his dai-kunai at the hospital, in the interests of speed.

Lee rolled to the left, dodging a vertical strike from Kisame's blade. He tossed a few shuriken at the big man, and continued to roll, evading Kisame's follow-up kick. When he came up, Lee drew a kunai, then was forced to dodge Kisame's blade again. Nothing Lee had could block the gigantic weapon without allowing it to cause him rather significant injury. Lee ducked and rolled again, but this time, the blade wasn't there. He glanced around, trying to locate Kisame.

"I've had it with this crap, kid. It's time for you to die," Kisame grinned, forming quick, efficient hand seals. He was standing ankle-deep in a growing pool, formed by the broken water main. "Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu!" he shouted, and the water beneath him gathered itself upwards. Kisame thrust his arms forward, and it shot towards Lee, taking on the shape of a shark's mouth as it went. Panicked, Lee broke left as quickly as he could, and threw himself into a roll. The water missile missed him by centimeters, and went on to decimate a nearby building. Lee rose to his feet as quickly as he could, only to see that Kisame was forming hand seals again, and that the pool he was standing in was now considerably deeper.

"Good game, kid," Kisame said simply. Next to his feet, the scales on his sword suddenly retracted, returning the vicious blade to a far more mundane, and less dangerous state. Kisame mad a final seal, then threw his arms wide, palms pointed away from one another.

"Suiton: Suijou Hakyoku no Jutsu!" the shark-like man shouted, his eyes fixed on Lee. Suddenly, the sound of ripping, tearing metal filled the air. One by one, the water pipes that ran along every building around them ruptured, spraying water forcefully into the street. About thirty meters away, the pipes inside a large, ornamental fountain ruptured, and water gushed into the street around it. After a few seconds, the sounds of rending metal became even more intense, and centered, mostly, right beneath Kisame.

"What's happening?" Lee wondered aloud, casting about. The pool of water that Kisame stood in was now up to his thighs, and was running away, down the streets.

"I'm putting this fight in my terms," Kisame explained, then brought his hands together forcefully. His fingers formed a little ball, and all around him, water began to drift upwards into the air. The sound of tearing metal finally climaxed, and a second water main burst underneath Kisame. Then, water blasted over Lee from all directions, and he found himself underwater. To his amazement, Lee realized that Kisame had used all the water he'd released from the city's waterworks to create a massive underwater arena. The twin water mains still spouted water, making the arena ever deeper. A glance downward confirmed Kisame's location; he had attached little flaps of fabric from the torso of his bodysuit to snaps on his elbows, and had fitted his sword to a set of little clamps on the inside of either leg. It now stuck out behind him like a giant fin.

With a look of anticipation in the nearly silent arena, Kisame whipped his legs and shot towards Lee, moving faster than he had on dry land. The gills around his eyes were bright red, filtering precious oxygen from the water. Lee tried to swim away, by the could not move nearly as well as Kisame could in the water. The shark-like man punched him hard in the stomach, and Lee lost his lungful of precious air into the cold, unforgiving depths. As Kisame circled around, Lee's lungs burned. Desperately, he kicked for the edge of the arena. Adrenalin lent him strength, and Lee managed to gasp a breath of air before Kisame grabbed his ankle and yanked him underwater again.

Lee used Kisame's arm as a pivot point, and spun around with his other leg to kick the huge man. He connected, but the water sapped any real strength the kick might have had. Kisame released him, however, and dove down. Lee took the opportunity to draw a pair of kunai. They would be useless for throwing, he knew. The water would quickly steal whatever momentum he might be able to impart in them. Beneath him, Kisame pivoted, and shot upwards, drawing a kunai of his own.

/He's using those fabric flaps like fins, to stabilize himself,/ Lee realized, seeing how Kisame was using them to steer himself. The pale man shot upwards, and a plan crystallized in Lee's mind. Kisame shot upwards, using his speed to add force to what would clearly be a telling blow. At the last moment, however, Lee twisted and planted one kunai in each of the fabric flaps beneath Kisame's armpits. Even as Kisame rammed his own kunai into Lee's side, he maintained his grip, causing the fin-like strips of fabric to rip cleanly down the middle. Kisame released his kunai and swam away as best he could, no longer able to navigate very well. Lee's lungs burned from the exertion and the pain that he had just endured, so he turned and fled for the wall of the arena. Kisame did not pursue him.

/I might be able to get out of here after all,/ Lee thought excitedly after a few seconds of pursuit-free fleeing. Just then, he felt a surge of chakra behind him, and glanced back just in time to see Kisame point a palm covered in arcane text at him. The shark-like man mouthed the words, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu," and a massive tiger shark burst from his palm. The gigantic predator, at least twenty feet long from snout to tip of tail, smelled Lee's blood immediately, and shot towards the injured shinobi.

/Damn!/ Lee thought frantically. Frantically, he thought of ways that he might escape from the clearly hungry predator; the dark-haired boy's panicked mind could only come up with one solution. /I might not be able to mold chakra,/ he thought, concentrating, /but I can push it. Third gate, open!/ Lee had no time for a soldier pill to dull the effects of the incredibly powerful technique. Chakra flowed through his body, and he directed all of it down and through his feet. With a sudden burst of propulsion, Lee shot through the water like a torpedo, the water around his feet nearly vaporizing from contact with the superheated chakra. Lee didn't dare to glance back; he knew that the shark was almost upon him.

With a triumphant gasp, Lee flew out of the watery prison and into the blessedly sweet air of Konoha's early morning marketplace. Behind him, the shark didn't realize unto too late that the water ended, and shot out of the arena after Lee.

/I'll be completely out of it after this. I've got to finish the fight now,/ Lee determined, and his eyes narrowed a bit. He landed on the shark's back and pushed off, soaring skywards. The shark fell to the ground hard, and exploded in a puff of ninja smoke. Lee managed to land on a rooftop that hadn't been submerged yet.

A pair of quick snaps attached a kunai to the end of each of the chains that he still wore, wrapped in big reels on each of his forearm. Without the water to slow his initial throwing power, Lee chucked the two kunai into the arena. They disappeared under the surface like bullets, and shot straight towards Kisame. He twisted hard, and managed to dodge the first chain, but the second snagged between the hilt of his sword and his leg.

Before Kisame could react, Lee hauled on the chain, while allowing the first to reel itself back in. Kisame kicked desperately, but Lee had leverage and, now, strength. Like a prize catch, Kisame was hauled from the water, and hung in the air for a second before Lee kicked him in the back, sending the shark-like man even higher into the air.

The first chain snapped out and wrapped itself around Kisame's arms, binding them behind his back. Kisame's legs, still bound to his sword, were already immobilized. Beneath the two, the aquatic arena fell apart, gushing down the streets of Konoha. With a furious yank, Lee began spinning Kisame along the end of his chain length.

"Fourth gate, open!" Lee shouted, opening the wound gate. Renewed power flooded his muscles, even as they burned in protest. /I've got to do this right,/ Lee thought grimly. /If I don't, then he'll kill me once he's recovered./

"This doesn't work, remember?" Kisame taunted him, a note of relief in the shark-like man's voice.

"Wanna bet? Fifth gate, open!" Lee returned, stretching himself to his utter limits. His spin intensified, and soon both he and Kisame were just a blur. The air whipped and whizzed with the sheer speed at which Lee spun Kisame, letting out, bit by bit, more chain.

"Ura Renge revised," Lee finally shouted. "Hasaiki Jiten!" Kisame crashed into the surface of the ankle-deep water that covered the street completely. Water shot up in a plume that would be visible for miles, and the cobblestone path beneath shuddered and fell downwards as the sewers two meters down collapsed. The two buildings nearest to the impact crater shuddered, creaked, and began to collapse in on themselves. Lee shot sideways and tumbled to a stop a few meters away, his chains trailing behind him.

Slowly, agonizingly, Lee pushed himself to a crouch. The muscles in his arms and legs were in tatters. Kisame hadn't moved since the impact. Lee squinted, and heaved a heartfelt sigh of relief when he counted the tips of eight ribs protruding from Kisame's back. Carefully, Lee let himself fall, and rolled so that his face was upward, above the water.

"Once you're going a certain speed," Lee recited from a childhood classroom lecture, "Water's surface tension makes hitting it no safer than hitting concrete." A few seconds later, Lee lapsed into an exhausted and fitful sleep.

*** Author's Notes ***

Wow. I've been wanting to write this chapter for about a month now, and BOY does it feel good to finish it. Of course, I want to write the NEXT chapter even more, but… We'll not discuss that. Anyway, I have to say that this is my favorite chapter yet. I'm the world's biggest Lee fan and, despite the fact that I won't admit it to ANYONE, I really like Neji too. Even if he IS a bitch to write. Feh.

It is official; 'Genin' will terminate at fifteen chapters. Whatever comes next will come next and so on and so forth. This reminds me: if you wish to vote on the story ideas presented below, it MUST be done in a PRIVATE E-MAIL! Reviews on will NOT be accepted, nor will any other method of communication. You can IM me and tell me what you want, but I won't count it unless you e-mail it to me. I need to do this so that I can keep an archive of those who've voted, as well as pick out those who try to vote twice. I wasn't so picky a few years back when I ran another voting competition, and I am still unsatisfied with the results. The choices will be at the very end of the chapter.

::Pats himself down.:: All right. Now that that mess is done for, I need to thank everybody for their patience and their reviews. As always, they mean a great deal to me. Also, if anyone wants to do fanart for 'Genin,' I'd be tickled pink. Well, I'd really appreciate the art, but the real reason that I'm soliciting the art is that the author of 'Betrothal' and I have a long-standing friendly argument over whose fic is better. Whenever I have him cornered, he points at the ONE piece of fanart that someone's made for his fic, and I have to spend another half hour getting back to the point I was at before. Oh, well. _

Also, if anyone cares, I'd like to highly recommend 'A Golden Gray Morning,' a fic in the Naruto section. It's a very good murder mystery, and I've enjoyed reading it quite thoroughly.

As Always,

~Flash ()

The Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Metal Gear May Cry," by Jared Hudson. This is an incredible remix of some Metal Gear Solid 2 song (I never played the game). In any case, it's dramatic, well-scored, and truly a piece of auditory wonder. I wrote the entire Kisame battle to it, so if you wanna go back and reread the scene while listening to this, I'd recommend it. Pick it up at ().

Character Themes:

Dontou: "Eres Des Pointes," by DJChrono. This is a fun rap-style remix of the overworld theme from Final Fantasy 6. Except that the rapping is in French. And was quietly lifted from an actual French rap CD, and thus has no0 real bearing on the song itself, other than as an auditory aid. I like it, though. Nab it at (.org).

Kisame: "rAAw Battery," by Jivemaster. This is a great industrial style techno remix of Flying Battery Zone, from Sonic 3. I've been listening to it for ages, and am frankly shocked that I haven't recommended it before now. Anyway, here it is, in all it's glory. Find it at (.org).

New Moves:

Yes, we've got several new techniques here, all for your consideration. As a side note for anybody that wants to use any jutsu I make up, please ask my permission. If I say no, I'll tell ay why, and I mean it. Anyway, onward and upward.

Fuuma Satsujinsha no Jutsu: Evil Wind Slayer Skill- This technique is unique to Dontou, as he is the only person to ever fight with fuuma shuriken in the way that he does. Fuuma Satsujinsha allows its user to accelerate a fuuma shuriken with their chakra, turning it into a powerful close-range weapon.

Fuuma Gufuu no Jutsu: Evil Wind Typhoon Skill- This is a combination of high-level taijutsu and mid-level ninjutsu. Utilizing a great deal of speed, the user of this technique throws a great number of projectile weapons at his or her opponent, effectively creating a flying wall of sharpened steel. After the weapons serve their purpose, the user of this technique draws them back to themselves with chakra strings, like Kankuro uses to control his puppets.

Suijou Hakyoku no Jutsu: Aquatic Cataclysm Skill- This jutsu summons all water within a certain radius and forms it into a standing aquatic arena. The greater aim of this technique is to drown your opponent by striking them with glancing blows to keep them away from the boundaries of the aforementioned arena. Alternately, as Kisame uses it, it can be used to turn the tables on a speedy land-based opponent, if the user is prepared to take advantage of such a situation. If the user is removed from the arena, it dissipates automatically.

Translations:

Kenki: Devilish Swordsman. This is a little play on words, one that Dontou presumably came up with. The 'no' at the end of Dontou's name is possessive, making his full assumed name 'Devilish Swordsman's Dull Blade.'

Fuuma: Evil wind. This shuriken is used a in the actual storyline, and against Zabuza specifically.

SEQUEL OPTIONS:

All right, people. Here's the drill. I'm going to present a story idea after a number. When you vote, report which NUMBER you vote on. Please do not attempt to describe what you're voting for. I'll ignore it. For those of you too lazy to scroll up a bit, my e-mail is ().

IDEA #1: Chuunin, the sequel to Genin. I'm not gonna give a summary of what this story'd be about, because I think it would have an unfair advantage if I did, simply because it's the sequel to the fic you're reading now. In other words, vote Chuunin if you want to see more in the Genin world. And if you like the jutsus.

IDEA #2: Alternate Universe. This fic explores what might have happened if Jiraiya's training at the waterfall cliff where Naruto first summoned Gamabunta had gone… differently. It would be an intensely dark and serious fic, focusing primarily on Naruto, as well as Gaara.

IDEA #3: Continuation. Told in the style of a History Channel documentary (Barbarians, in case anyone cares,) this fic would explore what happened to Sasuke once he arrived at the Sound. Most of the present cast would be absent, except in peripheral roles. There would be a lot of focus on politics and that sort of thing.

IDEA #4: Humor/Parody. Having read the descriptions for approximately a GAJILLION Naruto yaoi fics, as well as having waded through several, I feel that a parody of such fics is not only warranted, but overdue. Watch the antics of the male half of Konoha as they are swept by… the Gay Gai Virus! Silliness… _

IDEA #5: Mystery. Inspired by 'A Golden Gray Morning," Team Seven rushes to uncover the identity of a murderer in Konoha. Considering how good I am at covering my tracks and surprising you guys, imagine what I could do with something like this.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Fourteen: Reaper in Red

Naruto ducked, allowing Masako's staff to whiz by over his head. He stepped to the side, a kunai in hand, but his barely-begin counterattack was cut short when Masako deftly jabbed the butt end of her bamboo staff at him. Naruto had to step back to keep it from crushing his nose. Again, he tried to duck and come in low for a strike against Masako, but the staff was there again, missing him by centimeters. In the midst of the whirling dance of brown bamboo, Masako smiled serenely and handled the weapon with a level of utter precision that Naruto had never seen before.

Naruto took a step backwards, avoiding the staff again. Masako took a step forward, denying him the ability to retake the ground he'd lost. Again, Masako attacked, and Naruto fell back. He cursed under his breath, finding that she'd taken control of the fight. He was being driven, step by step, towards a particularly large boulder about ten meters away. Every time Naruto attempted to move the procession left or right, Masako's damnable staff was there, striking him solidly and forcing the orange-clad teenager back on to the course that she had chosen.

"Disappointing," Masako said flatly after about a half minute of combat. Naruto had already lost a good five meters of ground. He growled, and rushed forward, his kunai extended. Masako's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise, but she caught his hand between her left arm and the staff. She twisted viciously, and Naruto launched himself into a horizontal spin to keep her from breaking his arm. Nevertheless, Naruto lost his kunai, and tumbled to the ground.

As quickly as he could, Naruto was on his feet again, but Masako was already there. Again she herded him, but towards a different boulder. It took a moment for Naruto to draw a spare kunai, and a trio of red welts marked his carelessness. This time, he couldn't mount any kind of effective counterattack before she had him backed against the rock. Out of maneuvering room, Naruto was forced to endure the repeated punishment of the blue-haired woman's staff. Slowly, Naruto's eyes grew red, and his pupils slitted.

"Get… away from me!" Naruto roared suddenly, grabbing a little ledge of rock above his head. He pulled his body up a bit and bunched his legs, then twisted and kicked out with both of them. Masako, surprised, took the blow and skittered away, then came to a stop in a defensive stance. Naruto pulled himself up and stood on top of the boulder that he'd been pressured against. His eyes faintly glowed with hate as he stared at Masako. Hers watched him with a level of guarded respect.

Slowly, Naruto's jacket parted. It had been cut cleanly, from his left shoulder do the right side of his stomach. Beneath it, his black undershirt had also been sliced, and a long red line of blood traced the slice down his torso. Masako watched Naruto, showing no sign of satisfaction at the strike that she'd landed. With a grimace of pain, Naruto tore off his jacket and allowed the halves of his favorite item of clothing to fall to the ground.

"Nice try. Didn't even see you," Naruto complimented Masako. As he did, the blond-haired boy slid his hitai-ite from its place around his neck and re-cinched it around his forehead. Then, with deliberate slowness, he reached down and slid a finger along where Masako had cut him. The blood smeared away, revealing whole, healthy skin. Beneath his undershirt and the blood on his chest, the wound had already healed. "But it's gonna take more than that to bring me down," Naruto grinned, falling back into a fighting posture.

"I expected no less," Masako replied coolly, adjusting her stance. Suddenly, her eyes flashed red, a shade that Naruto was all too familiar with.

"Sharingan," he noted aloud, and Masako nodded.

"You're drawing on his power," she noted in return, a clear emphasis on the word 'his.' Naruto nodded slowly, and Masako continued. "Kyuubi has been a mixed blessing for you, hasn't he? Despite the fact that he's a demon, his strength has saved your life quite a few times."

"Shut up," Naruto growled, his face darkening. "You have no idea what it's like to live with this thing," he elaborated, spitting out the last word. "I'd do anything to get rid of it."

"I'm quite certain," Masako smiled condescendingly. Naruto's eyes flashed open, and he threw himself towards the Akatsuki woman. The blond-haired shinobi descended upon Masako in a fury of teeth and claws, his eyes wild. Masako met him with her staff, and twisted him away. Naruto spun and landed lightly, then launched himself towards the blue-haired woman.

Without missing a beat, Masako drew the end section of her bamboo staff out from the rest. With it came a long, thin blade. Using the sheath as a distraction, Masako dodged away from Naruto's strike, then stabbed at his left kidney. Naruto roared in pain and skittered away. The wound, which would have been fatal on anyone else, sealed itself shut quickly.

Meters away, Sakura tried to think of something, anything, that she might be able to do. The two were moving around almost faster than her eyes could follow, even though she'd activated her Sharingan almost as soon as the fight had begun. Now, as she watched red chakra pour off of Naruto like water, she began to feel a sinking feeling in her gut. Somewhere in her mind, an obscure fact that she'd read in an ancient scroll clicked.

_To demons, death is mostly an inconvenience,_ the text had read, as she'd sat in the archives late one night. Anxiety over a test the next day had brought the young girl to this section of the archives, which had lain largely undisturbed for a little over a decade. _Being creatures of chakra incarnate, a demon simply must summon the will to re-materialize his form. Thus, the only truly effective way to stop a demon is to seal it. Often, this can be achieved with any item, though some exceptional cases require relics of faith. In a few cases, and these involve only the most potent of the demon hierarchies, there is only one vessel that can properly contain a demon for an extended period of time._

"A human infant," Sakura breathed, her jaw trembling. Slowly, she fell to her knees as her mind unwillingly traced the years back to the most catastrophic event in the village's recent history. "And the Fourth Hokage was able to end the creature's reign of terror by sacrificing his own life. At midnight, on October the tenth, the Nine Tails Demon Fox was defeated forever, allowing the people of his village to enter a new day with hope. This is why we now celebrate Thanksgiving on the eleventh," Sakura recited, remembering the childhood lesson that she had heard dozens of times in her youth.

Naruto shook his head a bit as he circled Masako. Her blade was extended towards him, and the four-foot reach advantage it gave her was considerable, even in his state. Bloodlust pounded in his head, deafening the blue-eyed chuunin from anything but his opponent. The ragged slashes of fur on his cheeks showed that Naruto was drawing on Kyuubi as much as he dared; the demon's chakra thundered through his veins like fire, and Naruto could almost hear Kyuubi's chuckle of enjoyment at the battle.

Without warning, Masako attacked him, and Naruto was forced to dodge the surprisingly quick long sword that Masako was fighting with. Even with all the speed that Kyuubi could grant him, Masako struck him again and again. As she had been before, Masako was utterly precise and just a bit quicker than he was.

/Do it,/ Kyuubi whispered in his mind, the seductive tone odd for such a thunderously powerful demon. /The seal prevents me from giving you any more power. Tap the gates from your side, and we'll end this wench together./ Naruto shook his head, and Masako took the opportunity to slice him deeply across his right arm. The wound was slow to heal, muscle taking longer to knit than fat and skin.

/This is why I hate using the damn fox,/ Naruto thought to himself, concentrating again on dodging Masako's attacks. /Every time I do this, he's there, trying to get me to do more./ Only once before, when he'd fought Gaara, had he demanded more from the demon. He had opened the floodgates, accepted the second rush of chakra. It had terrified him profoundly, and Naruto had suspected that, had he not used the chakra immediately, that the demon would have taken up residence in his mind. He'd never spoken of it to anyone, even Jiraiya.

"Still disappointing," Masako said at length, carefully controlling what she would allow Naruto to do. Any hand seal or movement to either side was met with a recriminating stab, disrupting whatever the demon-enhanced chuunin had in mind. "But mildly entertaining, at least. I suppose that it's true what they say about you, despite Kyuubi's best efforts."

"What?" Naruto growled, freezing. Masako was so surprised by his sudden lack of movement that she failed to take advantage of it.

"Dropout. Dunce. 'Dead last,' even," Masako explained, shrugging her shoulders a bit. Naruto's face screwed up in an expression of rage like none she'd ever seen before.

"That's it," Naruto growled, gritting his teeth. Engulfed in a rage fed quietly by the demon inside of him, and _pulled._ Deep inside the blond-haired boy, something gave, and chakra poured outward in great waves. "Now there's no way I'm gonna go easy on you!"

Masako took a few steps backwards as the dark red corona that surrounded Naruto suddenly exploded in size and intensity. Instead of flowing around him, as would normal chakra, this chakra burned around him, like fire. Pure rage settled in the boy's eyes as he regarded Masako.

With a burst of speed and torn earth, Naruto broke to his right. To his amazement, Masako was there as well, keeping pace. Her emotionless mask was gone, replaced by an expression of intense interest. Naruto struck at her, but the woman managed to dodge the blow. She twisted and struck at him lightly, but Naruto barely had time to wince in pain as the blade slipped in and out of his ribs. Kyuubi's chakra wrapped the wound and healed it almost instantaneously. The two traded glancing blows for a few moments, then broke away from one another.

Naruto could feel Kyuubi's mind pressing in on his. With his chakra enshrouding the body that was supposed to keep it sealed, Kyuubi pressed inwards, trying to impose himself on the boy that bore him.

/Go to hell, fox shit,/ Naruto growled, forming hand seals rapidly.

"Honshitsu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and nine clones of himself appeared in a circle surrounding Masako. Each bore his expression of concentrated rage, and each quickly moved to form a set of new hand seals. Masako, to her credit, attempted to dispel the genjutsu that she thought was tricking her Sharingan eyes.

"This is my best move, damn it! You're going down!" the ten enraged chuunin shouted as one, each moving their hands to form a familiar and well-known seal. "Kage Bunshin revised: Hitori Sangun no Jutsu!" As they finished, the world around Naruto, Masako, and Sakura was obscured with a massive explosion of ninja smoke. Slowly, it billowed away.

Sakura brought her hands to her mouth as she looked around in amazement. She could barely move without bumping into a Naruto clone. Masako's reaction was similar, in one sense.

"My word," she murmured aloud, looking around an ocean comprised entirely of identical faces. Thousands upon thousands of completely identical shadow clones covered the shattered lands in bodies, each with Naruto's wild red eyes and jagged whisker-marks. They stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction, standing or hanging off of every boulder in the considerably cluttered plains.

"Ten thousand clones apiece," Naruto alone shouted, the pressure in his mind seceding a bit. "My absolute max. Think you can land that many deathblows?"

"We sure as hell don't!" a hundred thousand voices rang in unison. Unnoticed by Masako, a single clone, near Sakura, grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Run," it told her, a worried expression on the clone's face. "If this doesn't work, I've got nothing left." Sakura's eyes widened; she'd never heard Naruto speak like that before. A corridor opened up in the ocean of bodies behind her. With a final glance, the pink-haired girl turned and ran.

* * * * * *

With a growl of excitement, Sasuke charged toward his brother. Malice and fury were etched across his face, turning the once-handsome boy into a vision of horror. Sasuke's expression had darkened as the fight with his brother had progressed; he had yet to successfully land an attack on his brother. Itachi was living up to his reputation as the brilliant prodigy of the Uchiha clan; whenever Sasuke attacked, he was either simply not there or ready with a devastating counterattack. As of yet, despite the expression if of slightly-insane rapture on the elder Uchiha's face, he had yet to offer a direct attack of his own.

Sasuke ducked, as if to come up with the kunai he gripped in either hand, but then quickly faded to the right and launched himself into the air. As he rotated, Sasuke extended his right leg, hoping to catch his brother on the side.

It was not to be. Just as Sasuke's leg was about to connect, Itachi grabbed his ankle. Despite the momentum of his leap and spin, Sasuke was simply stopped cold by his brother's grab. Desperately, Sasuke twisted, bringing his other leg into striking position. As a defense, Itachi simply ducked his head down, and the leg soared harmlessly through the space where his head had been. Sasuke realized too late the position that this would leave him in, and tried desperately to stop his rotation. However, he was too far into the kick, and Itachi's grip was absolute iron. With an audible 'pop,' and a scream of pain, Sasuke's right hip was dislocated.

"That was reckless and stupid," Itachi snorted in disgust. He hauled on Sasuke's leg, eliciting another scream of pain from his brother, then threw the young man across the market to crash into a storefront. Some of the wood broke, but most held, and Sasuke had a moment to catch his breath as he sat with his back against the storefront.

"I'm disappointed. You've done nothing of note in the past four years, it seems," Itachi said with a sigh, and the rabid grin slowly faded from his face. Sasuke, with a gasp of pain, wrenched his injured leg back into its proper alignment, then screamed in agony. From personal experience, he knew that almost nothing hurt more than a dislocated limb, including broken bones. The pain from a broken bone, at least, was not intensified so greatly by every movement as was a broken limb.

"Shut up and die," Sasuke growled, pulling himself to his feet. After a moment, Sasuke found a measure of balance, using only his left leg to support himself.

"No," Itachi stated flatly, a mask of indifference now firmly in place. A glance towards Sasuke's injured leg confirmed his assessment. "It's time for you to die, I suppose," the elder Uchiha decided with the barest hint of a sigh.

"Not yet," Sasuke said, glaring. With a grimace of pain, he settled his weight on both legs, then fished a small, cream colored scroll from his pocket. "I've still got one move left."

"Shijuukaigan?" Itachi wondered aloud, his eyebrows rising. Sasuke ignored him, instead performing the complicated hand seals necessary to empower the technique. "It's no wonder you're so reckless, then."

"Oh?" Sasuke looked up, hands still flowing together smoothly.

"Yes. It took me years to control the madness after I first used it," Itachi elaborated, his tone still flat. "Utter emotionlessness is the only way to stop the killing urges. Masako-sama helped greatly. After all, she provided me with the model scroll."

"What?" Sasuke's eyes widened, and he fumbled the final hand seal. His scroll tumbled to the ground, unnoticed.

"Did you really think that our family would keep such a dangerous technique?" Itachi asked, a note of honest curiosity in his voice. "Our clan eradicated every record of that technique generations ago. Only one scroll survived, locked away in the Hyuuga family archives, which Masako-sama retrieved on her own initiative." Sasuke simply stared at his brother in shock, several bone-chilling realizations coming swiftly to mind. "Her original intention was to use the technique herself, but discovered after a little research that she would never be capable of performing the maneuver."

"Thus, she came to the Leaf, and waited for a few years," Itachi continued, his flat, unemotional voice a chilling contrast to what he was saying. "When I came of age, she transformed herself and entered the ninja academy with me. In order to pass the genin tests early, as our father desired, she provided me with the Shijuukaigan scroll. I used the technique again to pass the chuunin examination. I didn't know the truth about her until I was your age."

"You left me alive…" Sasuke trailed off, his jaw shivering slightly.

"Because Masako-sama demanded it," Itachi finished. "She knew that if she left the scroll in your possession, fresh with the memory of my betrayal, you would eventually use it of your own volition."

"And our parents?" Sasuke asked, the red clouds of his insanity receding enough for a sliver of himself to slip through.

"Again, because Masako-sama demanded it," Itachi answered. "She knew that she'd never be able to take me if my parents still lived. She also knew that they would discover the secret behind my genius eventually. Finally, if the two of them were dead, she could have you as well."

"And you feel no guilt whatsoever?" Sasuke half-asked, already knowing the answer that Itachi would give. His remorseless, emotionless face told all, it seemed. However, as the words left Sasuke's lips, Itachi's face seemed to sag, just a bit.

"You cannot imagine the guilt I feel," Itachi said with a slow, deliberate shake of his head. "I dance like a puppet for Masako-sama's whims," he continued, looking up again. When their eyes met, to Sasuke's utter shock, the slowly whirling red depths of Itachi's irises slowed something that Sasuke had never seen.

Sadness.

"I watched helplessly as I slaughtered them, Sasuke. I died that day, along with our parents," Itachi said, his emotionless tone at odds with the sadness etched in deep lines across his face. Slowly, he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. When he let it out and reopened his eyes, the sadness was gone, and his mask was fully in place once more.

"My only hope was that, despite Masako-sama's designs, you would grow strong enough to kill me. I… cannot harm myself, or allow harm to come to myself," Itachi explained helplessly. "Masako-sama has forbidden it."

Sasuke's head sagged on his shoulders as the foundation that he had built his whole world on crumbled. The violent haze of madness still swirled in his mind, but could find no hold to latch on to, as the psyche that it had come into being in shattered around it.

"And now?" Sasuke asked, doing his best not to sniffle. When he looked up, he looked at his brother with the unsure, worried eyes that he'd had when he was seven. Itachi's jaw tightened visibly when he saw this, but he made no other outward move.

"She told me to kill you," Itachi answered, speaking of Masako for the first time without using her full name.

"Well," Sasuke said slowly, thinking. Then, with a pained half-chuckle, he reached down and grasped the scroll. "The end of the Uchiha clan. Let's make it something to remember." Itachi stared at him for a minute before he replied.

"Yes," he said, with a wan half-smile. The killing urge welled up inside of him at the display of emotion, but Itachi fought it back down with practiced ease. "Let's." Sasuke's hands flew through the seals that he needed to make, an eager grin plastered across his face.

"Shijuukaigan!" he shouted, completing the technique. The world around him flew again into vibrant shades of color, representative of the unique chakra that each thing, living or unliving, bore. Unlike before, however, the red mist of insanity did not rear up to again consume his mind. Instead, Sasuke's mind closed in on itself, focusing on Itachi. Stray thoughts vanished like morning dew, and there was only logic.

/I can't beat him,/ Sasuke concluded after a few moments of thought. He could feel chakra coursing through his veins, and his muscles flexed with newfound ease. His brother, however, was still better. Sasuke glanced down at his leg. /And I can't run./ Again, he looked up. His mind closed in on itself, tightening up its operations like a powerful computer booting up for the first time. /My best odds lie in fighting him, and to hope for assistance./

Sasuke bunched his good leg underneath him, and observed the way his brother's body tensed in response to his movement. He used that to guess at his best course of attack, and was about to execute it when an ethereal shockwave washed over him, the signature of a massive surge of chakra. Sasuke froze, and looked to his right. His brother, having felt the wave as well, looked in the same direction.

Two towering columns of red chakra, bending and fusing into one as they reached towards the ground, erupted from the shattered lands. A hundred feet in the air, they twisted and fused together again, spreading out from there to form a much larger shape. Slowly, an angular front end formed, and another pair of columns stretched down to meet the ground. Itachi gasped in amazement, and Sasuke's jaw dropped a moment later as the shape took on its final form.

Springing fully-formed out of history books and legends, Kyuubi towered over Konoha again, his tails swirling and his head extended in a cackle of glee.

* * * * * *

"My word," Masako repeated, looking around. An expression of excitement had settled across her face, and a genuine smile of enjoyment rested on her lips. "How very interesting. I've never seen anything like this."

"Good," a few dozen clones nearest to Masako grinned. Some of them drew kunai, while others extended hands to ready the lethal Rasengan. Masako let out a half chuckle at the response and fell into a defensive position, her blade at the ready. Her stance spoke of bemused readiness. The assembled Naruto clones decided simultaneously that they would have no more of her condescension.

"Get her!" about a hundred of them cried, and a tide of bodies flowed towards Masako. Many clones leapt into the air, Rasengan or kunai at the ready, to make room for more of their brethren below. Masako flexed her arm once, then was buried underneath the wave of attacks.

About a hundred meters away, Sakura collapsed to the ground with a scream completely inaudible above the massed war cry from Naruto's army of clones. She clutched her head as her Sharingan grew to its final level, a third Sharingan pupil entering orbit around the primary pupil in each eye. The pain subsided more quickly than it had before, and Sakura managed to rise in time to see Masako's counterattack.

"Karitori Enjin!" Masako shouted, and the mass of bodies pressing in around her vanished in an explosion of ninja smoke. Sakura, with her Sharingan enhanced eyes, saw Masako spinning and twisting as she worked her blade in every conceivable direction. She used chakra to fuel her spin, in much the same way that Neji used chakra to spin his Kaiten. This spin, however, was offensive. When the smoke cleared, Masako stood with a single hand upraised. Her sword was spinning through the air above her, and there were no clones within a hundred feet of her.

"Nice try," Masako complimented him honestly, her hand coming down. It met her other hand quickly, and the two formed a little circle. "Maru no Suimin no Jutsu," she said simply, pouring chakra into the powerful technique. All around her, the tide of bodies slowed, then stopped. One by one, each and every shadow clone within fifty meters of the woman fell to the ground, then exploded into nothingness. A few moments later, those farther out simply vanished. Slowly, the smoke cleared, and Masako caught her weapon as it fell.

"But," Masako continued, looking around. "If the user of Kage Bunshin falls asleep, he can't maintain the mental control necessary to keep his clones in place. The same is true of all variants thereof." As the smoke cleared more fully, only Naruto and Masako remained inside the glowing circle of sleep that Masako had created. The blond-haired boy was facedown in the dirt, and appeared to be twitching in his sleep. Masako's Sharingan eyes detected red chakra still swirling uncertainly around the boy's slumbering form, as if it didn't quite comprehend the situation that it was in. As Naruto twitched, a word or two occasionally escaped his lips.

"Now adorable," Masako said dryly. "He talks in his sleep." She now stood over the prone boy and regarded him dispassionately. "You know, it really is a shame that the Kyuubi couldn't be moved to a different body. I really did want his power," she said, more to herself than to Naruto. "On the other hand, you did save me quite a bit of trouble and embarrassment by eluding Itachi. It took me years to discover exactly why infants had to be used in sealing ceremonies." Slowly, Masako rose her blade.

"Now, though, you die," she said simply, and brought the weapon down with enough force to sever Naruto's head from his body. The blade struck, and blade spattered onto Masako's cheek.

"What?" she exclaimed in shock. Naruto's arm had interposed itself between her blade and his neck. The weapon had struck his arm bone and lodged there. Slowly, deliberately, Naruto looked up at his opponent.

"Delightful," the blond-haired boy growled viciously. The red of his irises had spread out to encompass the entirety of his eyes. His slitted pupils had elongated, and now nearly touched the wide-open eyelids that surrounded them. Every tooth in the boy's mouth was razor sharp, and the whisker marks covered most of his cheeks. "Pain is almost as delightful a sensation as pleasure when you've felt nothing for two decades," Naruto continued, pushing himself up with his free arm. Masako's eyes widened in fear as chakra began to pour off of the boy in waves. She tugged again at her weapon, but Naruto met her efforts with a snarl and twisted his arm. The blade snapped cleanly, leaving Masako with only a hilt. She dropped it and stepped back.

"How can you be awake?" she wondered aloud. "Nobody can resist my Maru no Suimin."

"He didn't," Naruto growled, a toothy grin sliding across his face. Idly, the boy tugged Masako's blade out of his arm and tossed it away. The wound didn't even have time to bleed before it closed.

"What do you mean?" Masako asked, grabbing the remainder of her staff.

"You put Naruto to sleep, and he slumbers still," the blond-haired boy confirmed, stepping towards Masako. "On the other paw, there are far worse things in this boy than he would have most people think." Slowly, two columns of chakra extended upwards from the corona that surrounded Naruto's body.

"Kyuubi," Masako realized, stepping away. /I've got to scuff the circle and let the boy wake up,/ she realized.

"Exactly," a deep, horrible voice said in her ear. Hot breath washed over Masako's neck, and she didn't have to turn to know that Kyuubi was there. She hadn't seen him move; she hadn't even see him tens up to move.

"A technique that puts anything within its radius to sleep," Kyuubi continued, twisting Naruto's voice to produce a timbre and deepness of tone usually reserved for the otherworldly. "Irresistible, and independent of its user," he continued, slowly circling around Masako. "An impressive innovation, for meat," he grinned, mere inches from her face. Masako tried to control herself, but the chakra that boiled off of Naruto's body was thick and demonic, untouched by human molding. It was fear incarnate, and Masako stumbled away from the possessed boy, trying to stop the shivering in her knees and lower jaw.

"No, you don't," Kyuubi snarled, behind her once again. "I'll not let a whelp like you get away from me, not when I'm finally free."

"If you kill me, the circle will vanish," Masako declared, summoning up as much of her legendary cool as she could.

"And therein lies my dilemma," Kyuubi growled, his claws raking lightly along her stomach. Masako didn't have to look up to see that Kyuubi's excess chakra had formed itself into a hundred foot tall avatar of himself, a feat which he was likely doing as an idle exercise, to keep his mind busy. No human had enough chakra to even attempt such a thing.

"If I let you go, you'll snuff the circle, and I'll be forced to retreat back inside the seal as the boy awakens," Kyuubi continued, confirming what Masako suspected. /He can't escape,/ she thought to herself. /The seal just can't lock him back inside because the boy brought too much of the demon out. As soon as he wakes up, Kyuubi's mind'll be overridden by the kid's, and he'll be stuck again./

"If I kill you, the circle fades naturally, and I must again return to my prison," the possessed boy grinned, his breath hot on her throat. "Though I leave with a certain level of satisfaction."

"Are you sure that you can kill me?" Masako bluffed, trying to gain some level of advantage. Kyuubi chuckled for a moment, then broke out into a full belly laugh.

"It took a hundred shinobi to bring me down last time," Kyuubi replied as his laughter wound down. "Several of whom were more talented than you purport yourself to be. I believe the question is, whelp, are you sure that you can kill _me_?" Masako tried to maintain her composure and, after a few moments, failed. She skittered away from Kyuubi desperately, fear in her eyes.

"There is, of course, a third option," Kyuubi continued, taking visible pleasure in Masako's fear. "One which interests me greatly. I know only one jutsu, and I really would like to try it out on you."

"A jutsu?" Masako asked, edging even further away.

"Yes… the only one that I've bothered to remember," Kyuubi replied, his hands already coming together in the seal of the sheep. "The technique that dumped me into this abysmal prison." His hands flew, forming eight additional seals. It felt to Masako as if the bottom of her stomach had dropped out; she knew that she had no chance of surviving a technique that could stop Kyuubi in full rampage.

"Fuuin Jutsu. Shiki Fuujin, Kyuubipoi," the demon-possessed boy declared. Masako saw chakra flow out of him in a rush, but she could see no other outward effect. "Now, this technique would usually consume the life of whoever used it, as a part of the cost. It drags the soul of two beings out of the bodies in which they reside, that they might dance forever in the depths of Hell," Kyuubi explained. Behind him, Masako could see a massive gathering of chakra, swirling red and black. It had the general shape of a human, but it was fourteen feet tall, and hovered well above the ground. She could see nothing more specific, however, despite her Sharingan eyes.

"However, my soul is tethered in place for now, thanks to the seal that this very avatar of death created," Kyuubi continued, and the form behind him materialized fully. Shaggy white hair hid his horned head, a short knife clutched in the avatar's teeth. Billowing robes snapped around his body. When the avatar had materialized, they had been a pristine white, but were now slowly becoming red, as though someone were dipping them in blood. A vague humanoid form hovered in front of the creature, and a length of beads were clutched in his left hand.

"Will it kill the boy, and launch us all into his grasp?" Kyuubi wondered aloud. "Will it break the seal, and send only the two of us to Hell? I don't know, whelp, but I suppose that we'll find out together." Masako's jaw trembled, and she stumbled to the ground.

"You're crazy!" she shouted as the avatar's robes became fully red.

"Not as much so, no," Kyuubi taunted with a chuckle. "Unlike you, whelp, I have only to will myself back into existence once death claims me. It is life, now, that entraps me." Suddenly, Kyuubi snapped his head to the left, where Sakura had been creeping towards the line that Masako's technique generated.

"Away from the line, little one, or you'll join the blue-haired whelp in my little experiment," Kyuubi growled, and Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. "He needs nothing more from me. Now, even if the boy takes over, Death will claim those that it can. All I have to do is will that he take you as well, and he will. He does, after all, have two hands." Sakura, paralyzed with fear, simply stood in place for a few moments, then took a wavering step away. Behind Naruto's body, the avatar was raising his left hand. Swirling red tattoos appeared on his arm, and he reared his arm back.

"Good girl," Kyuubi grinned, and the avatar thrust his hand into the back of the humanoid figure that hovered in front of it. From Naruto's chest erupted a gigantic arm, clearly larger than the one that the avatar possessed. It hit Masako with enough force to throw her completely into the air. Then, just as the avatar's elbow emerged from Naruto's chest, the hand stopped, and Masako's body flew away. Clutched in the hand was what seemed to be a wispy white cloud. Slowly, it withdrew, sliding back into Naruto's chest. Already, the circle that surrounded the three figures was beginning to fade. The avatar's arm was soon fully withdrawn, and he bowed respectfully towards Masako's corpse, which had tumbled to the ground near the far line of the circle. The next moment, he was simply not there anymore. The hundred foot tall effigy of the demon fox had vanished as well, leaving Naruto alone on the battleground. Only a faint wisp of chakra remained in his entire body. He staggered forward, his head lolling, then half-turned to look in Sakura's direction.

"Sakura… chan," he managed, then pitched forward to fall, face down, in the dirt. After a moment's hesitation, Sakura threw herself towards Naruto's limp body with an inarticulate scream of grief.

* * * * * *

"That is…" Itachi trailed off, amazed. Even from kilometers away, he recognized the only figure that the floating demon could be. "Death's hand. I know that technique."

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, not quite sure what was going on. When Kyuubi had appeared, the fight had halted. Both of them were far more interested in the gigantic demon. When, at length, Itachi had declared it a mere avatar of chakra, their interest had only grown.

"The piece of Death that is summoned with the Shiki Fuujin no Jutsu," Itachi explained, shaking his head. "We should not be able to see it. I don't understand." Itachi's shoulders sagged, and the two of them watched as the figure bowed, then vanished. The chakra avatar followed suit a moment later.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked, confused. A part of him still wanted to kill his brother, but another part, a part that he'd buried years ago and was only now resurfacing, looked up to the elder Uchiha. In a completely unfamiliar situation, he relied, as he had in his youth, on Itachi's judgment. For some reason he couldn't fathom, Sasuke couldn't bend his mind around any possibilities regarding anything that he'd seen.

"Masako-sama is dead," Itachi stated flatly, "Weather she summoned the avatar or was the victim of it. One of your friends as well." Sasuke's heart wrenched, and immediately ruled out Sakura as a possibility. Nobody would waste their lives to bring her down, and he knew that she didn't know the technique.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, knowing that the blond-haired boy was the only realistic option. Itachi, after a moment of though, nodded in agreement.

"Well," Itachi mused, turning to face his brother. "What now?"

"I don't know," Sasuke returned with a shrug. Honestly, he couldn't think of a possibility that didn't involve fighting, and this worried him on a level that he couldn't quite identify. He'd lost something when he'd used Shijuukaigan the third time, but the younger Uchiha had no idea what.

"Well," Itachi sighed at length. "Masako-sama didn't tell me when I should kill you, and we're both outside of her supervision now." Sasuke didn't understand the second half of Itachi's statement, but nodded his agreement to the first.

"I'll see you some time," Itachi said, picking up his cloak. "When I do… please, be ready to…" He didn't finish the sentence. Sasuke was about to ask him what he meant, but his memory finally served the younger Uchiha with an answer. Again, Sasuke nodded. Itachi fastened his cloak around his shoulders and slowly walked away. With a grimace of pain, Sasuke collapsed to the ground and waited for the medic-nin to arrive.

*** Author's Notes ***

Hi, everybody, and welcome back for another chapter of Flash's obsessive drivel. Well, this chapter was quite a doozy to write. I think that I re-did the first section four times before I was happy with it, for example. Anyway, here it is, in all its glory. And yes, the next chapter WILL be the final installment of "Genin." And I don't care how much you whine.

Secondly, I am honestly floored by how incredibly bad many of my readers are at reading rather simple instructions. Over the course of two chapters, I put down the protocols for voting three times. THREE times. I provided my e-mail address twice last chapter, for your conveinance. And… I received eighteen improper votes. Eighteen. I am… amazed at how many of you seem to have a basic inability to follow written directions. Thus, as a countermeasure, I will be posting the names of each and every person that voted incorrectly. If you so desire, you have one chapter left to vote properly.

A slightly peeved,

~Flash ()

THE WALL OF SHAME: These are the people that voted incorrectly. Enjoy your rather embarrassing moment of immortality.

Inferno-Dragonz

Fubar (An ironic, but appropriate, name)

Kepelus (You really should know better, Kep. I know you.)

SilentOmega

Koori no Tenshi

Aaron

Death by Wasabi (Whose name I love, and want to steal)

Empty Sanity

Capped

PoofSpoon

MonkeyJ

Anders

Max Knight

Refused

XD

Babowonsuni

Adyen

A Shade of Fire

The Standings So Far: If you like an idea that isn't Number One… now might be the time to say so. Chuunin is kinda running away right now. A lot of the people on the Wall of Shame wanted #2… vote right, guys, so it counts.

Idea #1: 17

Idea #2: 2

Idea #3: 0

Idea #4: 2

Idea #5: 2

Number One Song on Naruto's Playlist:

"Symphonic Evil II: Evil Has a Name (Robotnik)," by Sephiros. This is an oddball remix if Robotnik's theme from Sonic 2. I like it, both for nostalgia and for its quality. Nab it at .

Character Themes:

Umm… there's nobody left, so… yeah. Nothing here.

New Techniques:

Hitori Sangun no Jutsu- One Man's Glorious Army (lit.), An Army of One (fig.): This technique is used in conjunction with the Honshitsu Bunshin. After creating several Honshitsu Bunshin clones, the user commands each of those clones to create as many shadow clones as possible. In doing so, he creates many times the number of clones that he would normally be able to create, even with a full night's rest. However, this army is short-lived, and relies upon the original user of the technique for its maintenance, since all Honshitsu Bunshin clones are consumed in order to create the absolute maximum number of clones.

Karitori Enjin- Reaping Circle: This is an extremely high-level taijutsu technique, and requires a higher level of chakra control than few people, even those among the elite ranks of the jounin, are able to achieve. The user spins his or her body with chakra, slashing dozens of times with a bladed weapon of some sort. He or she then throws the bodies of those they've successfully struck upon anyone else in easy range, using centrifugal force to accomplish the maneuver.

Shiki Fuujin, Kyuubipoi- Dead Demon Imprisonment, Kyuubi Style: This technique is functionally identical to the normal Shiki Fuujinm except that Kyuubi uses his chakra to make the avatar of death clearly visible to all. It also causes the demon to be an avatar in red, simply due to Kyuubi's preference. He always was a showy bastard, no?


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. Nor do Sakura, Sasuke, or any of the other characters mentioned or described herein. I haven't even bothered to get permission from their great and august creator. Feel free to sue me if you wish, but you won't get anywhere. Not only do I have no money, but as a college student, I have LESS than no money. That's right. A negative net worth. Have fun, Mr(s). Lawyer! Also, I will be using adult language in this fic. If you're not supposed to read such language, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Genin

By: Flashfyre5

Chapter Fifteen: The End of the Beginning

"How is he?" Tsunade asked softly, entering a small observation room. It was located just off of a secured room in Konoha General's psychiatric ward. In it waited a short man in a white coat. The little man jumped at the sound of Tsunade's voice, then turned and bowed.

"Tsunade-sama," he addressed her, rising from his bow. The man's white eyes and brown hair marked him as a Hyuuga branch family member. He wore his bangs long, to cover the awful seal that had been carved on his forehead. His shoulders sagged a bit, and the man turned back to look through the two-way mirrored glass that allowed him to look at the sole inhabitant of the secured room.

"See for yourself," he said as casually as he dared. Inside the room, Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed, sobbing softly. A few machines monitored his vitals, and an I.V. drip wound its way into his wrist. "He's been like that for days. Hasn't moved at all," the doctor added, shaking his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Tsunade asked, remaining impassive. The Hyuuga doctor looked at her, then shook his head and looked back at the window. Tsunade pretended that she hadn't seen.

"Almost everything," the doctor finally said with a sigh. "He came in with a dislocated hip, which we re-set and called in a medic-nin to heal. The next morning, we found him like this. He barely responds to anything, and we haven't been able to stop his crying." Tsunade looked over at the little doctor, but he continued. "After that, we sent him in for a CAT scan. Take a look," he said, fishing out a sheet of plastic and handing it to Tsunade. She held it up to a fluorescent wall light, then gasped at what she saw.

"This has to be wrong," she said, taking a half step back from the sheet.

"We thought so too," the doctor agreed. "We ran the test two more times, and I even examined him myself," he said, referencing his eyes. A Hyuuga neurologist had been an incredible boon for Konoha Hospital. He was quick, smart, and almost never wrong; Byakugan eyes could see levels of damage that even the most advanced CAT scan could only hint at. He shook his head as Tsunade looked over at him, a little more respect in her eyes. "I've never seen a level of brain damage this severe before. It's a miracle that the boy's still alive."

"Do you know how it happened?" Tsunade asked, returning to the window.

"Not exactly, but we've got a pretty good guess," he replied. "We think that the Shijuukaigan Sharingan is related, in some ways, to the Renge technique. It releases chakra at higher levels than the body is used to, and causes a significant, and permanent, increase in chakra molding potential. Unfortunately, the technique causes immeasurable damage to the creative centers of a person's brain."

"The first time he used it, his body immediately detected the damage. His brain hyper stimulated the remainder of his creative centers and flooded itself with dopamine. This caused paranoid schizophrenia at an uncontrollable level. Sasuke was left with the desire to stay alive, an imagination that could pinpoint how everyone would want to kill him, and seriously impaired inhibitions. The second time he used it, his brain no longer had the capacity to imagine ways that people could kill him, and his inhibitions were burned completely away. All that was left was the instability of his schizophrenia," the doctor continued.

"And now?" Tsunade asked.

"The third time wiped out what remained of his higher creative functions," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "He's still technically schizophrenic, but his brain lacks the capacity to think on that level anymore. All he has now are his memories and a few lower-level creative centers. Just enough for him to function, I suppose. Anyway, we think that the past has caught up to him, so to speak. Our working theory is that he's in a kind of feedback loop, where he no longer has the physical capability to cope with the loss of a loved one."

"So he just sits there and cries," Tsunade finished, saying what the doctor hadn't. He nodded slowly, then sighed again.

"I can't do anything for him," he finally said, looking at Tsunade. "Brain cells can't be regenerated. Even if they could, his schizophrenia would resurface." Tsunade turned, and met his gaze.

"There's nothing…?" she asked, her lips a tight line across her face.

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "Maybe if you got him to do something that requires his full attention. If he keeps at it for long enough, he might be able to put enough time between the present and his teacher's death for the memory to fade a bit. That is, of course, presuming that you can get him to be responsive." Tsunade nodded in reply, then turned and walked slowly from the room.

* * * * * *

Sakura knocked softly on an open hospital room door. It was mostly a gesture of courtesy, since she was well within the hospital's posted visiting hours, but she did her best to be polite, primarily because it was something that her inner self never made a point of.

"Sakura-san! Come in!" Lee called from within the pale green room. Sakura was surprised at how excited Lee seemed to be; he could barely move on his own at the moment, and his doctor had told her in no uncertain terms that it would be at least six months before his muscles were healed enough to begin training again. Someone had propped the black-haired teenager up against the backboard of his bed, and he was grinning widely.

"Hey," Sakura greeted him. "Good to see that you're feeling all right." She glanced around the pale green room as she spoke to Lee. Sakura hated that color of green; it was supposed to put patients at ease and help them heal, but it only made the pink-haired girl uncomfortable.

"I'm great!" Lee declared, and tried to flex a muscle for her benefit. Sakura tried not to laugh when he found himself unable to bring his arm more than a foot away from his torso. After a few seconds, Lee gave up, but appeared as enthusiastic as ever. To hide her amusement, Sakura placed a daffodil in a small flower vase next to Lee's bed, reducing the little bundle she'd brought to two.

"So," Sakura said, her merriment falling. She paused for a moment, then sat on the foot of Lee's bed. "Will you be able to come to the funeral?" Lee's excitement faded too, and le looked morosely at his blanket-covered feet for a moment before replying.

"Yeah," he replied quietly. "My doctor said that I could go, as long as I was in a wheelchair." The two were quiet for a moment before Sakura spoke again, breaking the silence.

"He would've appreciated it," Sakura replied, looking at her lap.

"Yeah," Lee agreed, nodding as much as his injuries would allow. The two shared a long silence before Sakura looked up again.

"Well, I might have some good news for you," she said, trying to summon up a level of cheerfulness. She slid a small backpack off of her shoulders and reached inside. From it, she withdrew a scroll, emblazoned with the symbol of Konoha village. Lee's full name was printed in blocky characters beneath it. "Tsunade-sama asked me to deliver your results from the jounin exams."

"Really?" Lee said, his mood buoyed by Sakura's feigned cheerfulness. "Did you get yours too?"

"Yeah. I didn't make it," Sakura said, shrugging her shoulders. Lee made an attempt to pat her comfortingly on her shoulder, but his arm again refused to obey him.

"That's too bad," Lee said instead, giving up on his rebellious limbs. Sakura shrugged.

"It's okay," she said, her voice a bit wistful. "I would've liked to be a jounin, but I was mostly there because Sasuke and Naruto needed me." Again, Sakura shrugged her shoulders, but Lee could tell that she was holding something back. "Anyway, do you want me to read you your results, or should I just open the scroll and pt it on your lap?"

"Read it to me," Lee said, trying to smile in a comforting, yet anxious and excited way. It ended up looking more like a grimace. Thankfully, Sakura's attention was already focused on opening and reading the scroll.

"Konoha village recognizes the effort that you have put forward, blah blah blah," Sakura began, skipping the preamble of the scroll. "We are, in conclusion," she began again, reaching the end of the scroll. "Pleased to offer the candidate, Rock Lee, the choice of joining the Anbu, in recognition of his excellent combat skills, or of enlisting as a full-fledged jounin. Hey, congratulations!"

"Yahoo!" Lee shouted at the top of his lungs, and Sakura had to stifle a giggle at his choice of celebratory words. Lee tried to pump his fist in the air, and again failed to. He made a mental note to train his arms extra-hard when he could, as punishment.

"So, which are you going to choose?" Sakura asked once Lee had stopped shouting.

"Jounin, of course!" Lee declared, flashing Sakura a blindingly white smile. Sakura finally lost her inner struggle with her manners, and giggled slightly at Lee's happiness.

"That's good," she said, rising. Her backpack was again slung over her shoulder, and she looked down at Lee. "Well, I have to go and see Neji. Remember, the funeral's at four." Lee nodded, trying to look appropriately somber at her reminder and failing miserably.

"I'll see you later," Lee said as she made her way to the door.

"See ya," Sakura replied with a smile as she left. Above the door, a clock ticked its way towards one forty-five. She walked slowly over to an elevator, which opened and discharged a pretty-looking nurse just as Sakura neared it. She slipped inside and pushed the button for the fifth floor. The elevator hummed quietly as it ascended, leaving Sakura to her thoughts.

/No fourth floor,/ she remembered. With a shake of her head. In reality, the fifth floor was actually the fourth, but it had been labeled as the fifth. Four was unlucky; long tradition held it as the number of death, and nobody wanted to stay on the fourth floor when they had to be in the hospital. A little clever labeling had solved the problem, but a art of Sakura said that the superstition was stupid. Still, she knew that she'd feel uneasy if she had to be on the fourth floor of a hospital.

Then the elevator dinged, and its doors slid open on well-oiled hinges. Sakura walked out and across the hall. Neji's room was 501, right across from the elevator. The door was closed, prompting Sakura to slow, then stop. After a moment of thought, she knocked on the door softly, not sure whether Neji was there or not.

"Come in," Neji's voice called clearly from within. Sakura pushed the door open and entered quietly. Neji was standing in front of a full-length mirror, which Sakura reasoned had been brought in by another of the clan's members. Neji was dressed in black, insofar as he could. He wore hid green vest over a sleeveless black t-shirt. His regulation combat pants were black as well, and the painted wooden mask he wore on his head bore a small black tassel, attached at the chin. This was the Anbu's traditional symbol of mourning. Neji would only remove the little ornament when he felt that he had honored the deceased for a sufficiently long period of time. His left arm hung in a sling, and the Hyuuga prodigy had even gone to the trouble of bandaging his arm in black and finding black cloth for his sling.

"Sakura," Neji greeted her, nodding in her direction. She knew not to take offense to Neji's quietness. Though usually willing to respond when someone made the effort to start a conversation, Neji would often become very quiet when he had a lot on his mind. Sakura didn't blame him; Neji took death seriously.

"So, you went with the Anbu?" Sakura asked conversationally. As Neji tried to straighten his vest, Sakura slipped a flower into a vase next to his bed. The little daffodil was all but swallowed up by the bouquets that already occupied the vase. Neji's victory had earned him a great deal of respect in his clan, and the expensive flowers were a quiet token of the head family's regard for him. Sakura suspected that Neji would have thrown the whole affair out, vase and all, if it wouldn't be so impolite.

"It's a family tradition to spend a few years in the Anbu before becoming full jounin," Neji explained simply, turning away from the mirror. His vest was perfect, as was the rest of his attire. His face reflected his displeasure with the fact in subtle undertones around his mouth and eyes.

"Ah," Sakura acknowledged, not quite sure whether to congratulate or console the white-eyed man. Neji simply nodded to her and pulled down his mask, which bore a striking resemblance to the mongooses that he could summon.

"I'll see you at the funeral," he said in farewell, and limped out the door to discharge himself.

"He'd appreciate it," Sakura replied, looking down. Neji stopped, then turned to look at her again.

"I didn't know him that well," Neji admitted, "but it seems like the right thing to do." Sakura nodded slowly, and Neji left. She stood in the room alone for a minute before she moved. Quickly, she walked over to the flower vase, picked it up, and threw it into the room's trash can. The delicate glass shattered on impact, and flowers spilled up and over the brim of the little plastic cylinder. Sakura stormed out, ignoring the mess. However, she stopped short when she saw Neji, standing only a few feet from his doorway.

"I… I…" Sakura stammered, sure that she had managed to offend Neji. Slowly, he raised his mask, and then smiled. Without a word, he turned and limped towards the elevator, which stood open, waiting for him. The doors slid shut as he turned to face her. Neji pulled his mask into place again, but not quickly enough to hide the satisfied smile that he still wore. Unsure of what else to do, Sakura breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief. Slowly, she came back to herself, and looked down at the single daffodil remaining in her hand.

"I guess it's his turn," she decided, with no small amount of apprehension. Slowly, the pink-haired girl started down the East hallway of the fifth floor. A few minutes later, she came to the secured section of the hospital, generally reserved for those on a suicide watch or… those that were less than completely sane. Sakura was stopped by a guard, who asked her in a polite but firm voice to disarm herself. She did so, placing the various tools of her trade in a little green plastic basket. The guard placed it on a numbered shelf, then asked to see her backpack. After a few minutes of rifling through it, he returned the bag. Sakura signed her name on a little clipboard, and the guard finally produced a ring of keys and unlocked the door to the ward.

Meekly, Sakura slipped in, and was immediately assailed by the sounds and smells that tended to accompany the dregs of humanity. The scent of medicine, linen, and metal mixed in her nostrils, and sent a shudder down her spine. A few rooms away, someone shrieked at the top of her lungs. A pair of orderlies ran over, opened the door, and began to wrestle the apparently suicidal girl into submission. Unconsciously, Sakura had edged away from the room, and now proceeded to slip past it while hugging the far wall. One of the orderlies injected the girl with a sedative, and she slowly calmed down. Sakura shuddered and jogged away down the hall.

After a few minutes, Sakura slowed to a stop. It was eerily quiet here, so far away from the violent patients' section near the entrance. Most of those here were either comatose or, for one reason or another, considered to be less actively dangerous than the norm for this ward. After a little searching, Sakura found the room that she'd been looking for. The pink-haired girl glanced in a little window on the stainless steel door to make sure that the room's inhabitant was decent. Satisfied, Sakura tugged the door open. It slid on nearly silent hinges.

"Hey," the room's inhabitant greeted her. The light fixture in the room was broken, and it cast a deep shadow over the corner of the room that he was standing in. In front of his body, Sakura could just make out a small dresser, from which he'd pulled a set of clothes. "How long have I been out of it?" he asked, turning to face the pink-haired girl. Red eyes caught the dim, flickering light in a way that contrasted oddly with his almost invisible figure.

"Three days. They kept you sedated for most of it, to be safe," Sakura replied, sliding the room's door closed behind her. The man nodded, then pulled a light jacket from where it had been carefully folded on top of the dresser.

"Tsunade's orders?" he asked, not moving.

"Yeah," Sakura replied, leaning against the wall. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't doing it out of fear, even though she knew she was. Across the wall, next to the shaded window, there was a light patch of wall, where a mirror had once hung. After a while, the room's inhabitant noticed Sakura's gaze and responded.

"They say that my eyes'll always look like this," he explained, still not moving. "It was too weird to keep looking at myself like that."

"I guess it's not that bad of a price to pay, considering," Sakura trailed off, and bit her lower lip. The figure slowly turned to face Sakura, his eyes narrowed a bit.

"You have no idea," he said, choking up a bit. "What happened to me, what it felt like. What it feels like." He took a couple of steps forward, into the flickering light.

"I can hear her, sometimes," Naruto continued, his jaw shaking a bit. "That woman's soul is inside of me, and I can hear her scream sometimes. And I can hear him laughing, 'cuz he knows that I can hear." Sakura nodded dumbly, not having to ask who Naruto was referring to. Naruto deflated a bit, and sat down heavily on his bed. A long moment of silence passed between the two.

"So," Naruto began sullenly. "Now you know what happened to Kyuubi. He's been right here all along," he said, patting his belly softly. "It's why I wouldn't go out with you before. I'm scared of him."

"I can understand that," Sakura replied with a nervous chuckle. Naruto joined in, his forced mirth sounding hollow and wooden. Again, the two lapsed into silence.

"Anyway, if you don't wanna go out with me any more, I understand," Naruto finally said, looking down. Even though she couldn't see his face, Sakura knew that Naruto was fighting to keep from crying. She pushed away from the wall and slowly walked over to the young man, seeming so small and helpless. She had never seen Naruto like this; by the time she'd met him, the year of their graduation, he'd been an arrogant, incorrigible pillar of self-confidence. Slowly, Sakura sank to her knees and looked up at Naruto's tear-stained face. He looked away sharply.

"Sorry," the blond-haired teen said before she could speak. "I just hate losing friends to the fox." He rubbed his nose hard with the back of his arm, and made a visible effort to choke back the tears that still trickled down his face. Sakura was about to respond when the simple truth of Naruto's words struck her.

She could easily remember all the times that her mother had told her to be careful around Naruto, that the boy was a bad influence on her. All throughout the year of school that she'd spent in his presence, Naruto had been teased and ostracized. Every day at lunchtime, she remembered with sudden clarity, Naruto had eaten alone on the schoolyard swing. He had always looked with carefully disguised longing at the little groups that naturally formed between friends. Then, he'd eat his little cup of steaming ramen, and if anyone bothered to make a point of his aloneness, Naruto would simply laugh at them. Sakura wondered why she'd never realized before how hollow that laughter had been.

"Hey," she began comfortingly, gaining Naruto's attention. "You're the same person you've always been, right?"

"Huh?" Naruto asked, confused.

"I mean, this whole thing with Kyuubi is scary and all, but you've always been like this, right?" Sakura clarified, looking up at Naruto. He slowly nodded, biting his lip nervously. Sakura paused, considering her next words carefully. "Well, the idea of dating a guy that's got a horrible demon inside of him is definitely gonna take some getting used to," Sakura began, then paused again, allowing her words to sink in. "But I'm willing to give it a try if you are."

"Even with Kyuubi?" Naruto asked hopefully, his face uncertain.

"He's always been there," Sakura replied. "He never counted before. I… don't see why he should count now." At her words, Naruto's face dissolved into an expression of relief. He just sat on the edge of his bed for a few minutes and smiled softly, thinking.

"Thanks," the blond-haired teen finally said, his voice soft. Sakura smiled and stood up, then offered her hand to him.

"Come on. Let's go to Kakashi-sensei's funeral," she said. Naruto took her hand gratefully and stood.

* * * * * *

"So…" Tsunade began, then stopped herself. She was leaning on the edge of a desk in the office area of Konoha Hospital. Across from her stood a tall, frail woman. She wore a chuunin flak jacket and, seemingly at odds with it, a flowing white dress. Soft brown hair rolled down from her head in waves, and the woman had a sunken, pale complexion. She was, quite obviously, not doctor. When Tsunade had entered the office area, the woman had quickly cleared it of all its normal inhabitants. The information she bore was for the Hokage's ears alone.

"You wish to ask about the Uzumaki boy's seal," the woman stated simply. Tsunade raised her eyes at the woman's directness.

"Right to the point as always, Naomi," Tsunade replied with a half-grin. She had dealt with the pale woman often before, but each time was a new experience in how one could exist in the world with no level of social grace whatsoever.

"You know that I don't get out much," Naomi returned. Tsunade would have taken offense, had she been talking to anyone else. This woman had been trained in the complex art of seal-making from before she could walk. She had been sequestered her whole life, and had never formed a real grasp on the far more intricate art of social interaction. Naomi was one of very few people in the world better at forming and examining seals than Tsunade was.

"…And?" Tsunade asked after a few minutes had passed without elaboration.

"It is holding. The demon cannot escape as things are now," Naomi replied succinctly. Tsunade breathed a visible sigh of relief. "However," she interjected, as if waiting for Tsunade to be relieved at the first part of the statement. "It has been altered. Significantly." Tsunade looked up sharply.

"How so?" she asked, pushing away from her relaxed position on the desk.

"The use of the Shiki Fuujin has altered the seal by placing another seal on top of it," Naomi explained. "A four-point seal using the four cardinal directions as anchors. It was created when the Shiki Fuujin dragged the woman's soul into the Uzumaki boy's body. Kyuubi is now using that seal as a sieve, so to speak. The same amount of chakra leaks out from the seal as has ever, but the demon is able to use the second seal to concentrate and control what kind of chakra is transmitted to the boy." Naomi fell silent, and Tsunade thought carefully on what she had said.

"Meaning that Kyuubi could try to force his personality through as a carrier on the chakra," Tsunade reasoned, worry in her voice.

"Theoretically," Naomi conceded with a shrug. "If his personality is as strong as I've heard, though, I doubt it. It takes an extremely weak personality to be forced out by another, even if it belongs to a demon. He should be safe, but I wouldn't be surprised if he develops a habit of talking to himself." Tsunade grinned wryly in response, but the woman turned and began to make her way towards the door.

"Thanks," Tsunade called after her. Naomi stopped and nodded.

"At your command, Hokage-sama," she replied, obviously trying to be polite. Tsunade laughed and shook her head.

"Don't bother, Naomi. I've gotten used to you," Tsunade grinned as she followed the recluse woman from the hospital offices

* * * * * *.

A few dozen black-clad people, most of them shinobi, ringed a pair of small but beautiful altars. They were simple folding tables, draped in black cloth. Upon the right one, two tall, thin candles burned atop elaborate silver candlesticks. Between them, a small egg-shaped urn sat. It, unlike the candlesticks, was a statement in simple elegance. Dark walnut had been lacquered a shining black, then edged in silver leaf. In front of the urn was a small picture that Kakashi had had taken shortly after he had been assigned as Team Seven's instructor. It included all three of the students, as well as Kakashi himself. There had been some murmuring before the ceremony had started at Sasuke's inclusion in the memorial photo, but no other could be found. Kakashi had never much liked cameras.

The left table was quite different. No picture rested on front of the deceased's remains, because the village had no photographs of the deceased. Taka's urn was made of cherry wood, and had been stained a luminescent bronze. In the tradition of the Wind country, the urn was simple, and without ornamentation. On either side of it, amber candles burned. They stood atop thin, simple candlesticks, also in the tradition of the Wind country. Only two mourners had come for Taka's half of the joint memorial, but even Naruto would admit that he and Sakura were there mostly for Kakashi.

A man stepped forward from the crowd. He was the only one among them wearing white; everyone else was wearing black. Three kimono, one atop another, covered his body, and a tall, boxlike hat rested atop his head. Slowly, the priest turned to regard those present. Lee sat silently in his wheelchair near the edge of the crowd. An attendant nurse, draped in a black coat, watched him carefully. Neji stood near them, a somber figure in his black uniform and white facemask. Gai wept openly in the front row while Iruka, who happened to be standing next to him, tried to comfort the man while still maintaining an appropriate level of respect. Asuma stood toward the back of the crowd, shockingly without a cigarette. Next to him stood Kurenai, who he'd been seeing on and off for a year now. They were currently in one of their 'off' phases, supposedly. Kurenai's body language said otherwise. Naruto and Sakura, both wearing black, stood at the front of the crowd. Both of their faces were blank, a mask hiding all emotion.

"Everything in this world that has a beginning also has an end," he began solemnly, then paused. Tsunade, draped in her ceremonial robes of office, had managed to arrive a half-minute late. She took up a position at the rear of the crowd, and nodded to the priest. "As ever, the beginnings are celebrated, while endings are mourned," the priest continued. "We stand together here, at the end of all things. As one, we mourn the passing of those close to us, and hold tightly to those we yet have." Again the priest paused, and several couples in the crowd drew closer together. Kurenai and Asuma's hands found themselves intertwined, though both would later deny any such thing vocally. Naruto snuck a glance at Sakura on his left, who returned the fleeting look.

"There is little that can be said of Hatake Kakashi that has not already been said," the priest picked up after the semiconscious shuffling of the crowd had died out. "He was a good, but troubled man. He was the best friend a person could have, and would have gladly laid his life down for any person here today. He was with us as a brother, a son, a friend, and even a mentor. He was, ultimately, what we all aspire to be: someone that loves their life so much that they try to pass on that love to everyone they meet."

"Some would say that his chosen profession was somewhat of an odd choice, considering this, but I disagree," he continued, a gust of wind rustling a pair of trees behind the altars. "Kakashi decided to defend his friends and family when he was still a child, and spent his life following that goal. I said before that he would lay his life down for anyone here, but that was not the extent of Kakashi's loyalty. He would kill to protect those dear to him, no matter how much it pained him. I cannot imagine," the priest said, then continued after a moment, "any person whom I would rather call friend." The priest bowed his head in prayer for a few minutes, then walked over to the altar. He bowed deeply to it, holding the bow for considerably longer than was strictly necessary. Slowly, he straightened, then lifted Kakashi's urn with both hands. Again, he bowed deeply, holding the urn in the air. Then, slowly and deliberately, the priest carried the beautifully lacquered vessel to an elderly couple in the front line of the crowd. He bowed deeply to them, and held the urn forward. The man of the couple, with hesitating and shaking hands, accepted it, while the woman next to him broke into tears. When the priest rose, the two bowed to one another. An almost palpable tension released, the ceremonial part of the funeral complete.

The priest made his way to the second altar, and bowed to it as well. Sakura and Naruto moved to observe the second funeral. Of all those present, only Tsunade made her way over to join the two. The priest had no words for the spirit of Sorano Taka, and simply did his best to consecrate the urn. It would be returned to the Sand village by a diplomatic escort, composed of several of Tsunade's best available shinobi. Only in the village of those hidden in the sand would Sorano Taka receive proper funeral rites. After a few minutes of prayer, the priest rejoined the quietly talking crowd near Kakashi's altar. Sakura, Naruto, and Tsunade stood in front of Taka's altar for a few more minutes. After a while, Tsunade placed a hand gently on Naruto's shoulder. He looked over at her, and gave her a tight-lipped half-gin.

"Hey," he managed, through a throat clogged with emotion. Sakura looked over too, and self-consciously tried to rub away the lines where tears had been falling.

"Are you all right?" Tsunade asked, returning the false grin.

"I'm okay," Naruto answered, then looked away. After a deep breath, he continued. "It all kinda hits ya, you know?" he asked. Tsunade nodded. "This is it. This is what we do for a living," Naruto continued, shaking his head a bit. "Right here." Tsunade drew breath to respond, but found that she had nothing to say. She closed her mouth silently.

"Most of us are like Kakashi," Tsunade finally said, after a long minute of silence. "We fight because we know that we're the only thing standing between those we love and those that want to kill them."

"So we say," Naruto returned, his tone tinged with bitterness. "I think I'm beginning to see why ero-senin left." After a moment, Naruto amended, "Both times."

"It's why I left too," Tsunade admitted. "I couldn't go on hurting and killing people when I couldn't do anything to protect the people I loved. It took me a long time to realize that my absence was hurting many more people." The three shared a moment of silence, each thinking on what Tsunade had said. "I wish the world was painted in black and white," she began again wistfully. "The right and the wrong. Sadly enough, it seems like black and white are the only shades that the world isn't." Naruto nodded once numbly, then stared at the ground hollowly for a long while. Sakura's hand found his, and squeezed. After a bit, he squeezed back. Tsunade reached inside her robes for something, then paused.

"I have something for you," she said slowly, watching Naruto's face carefully. "If you don't want it… don't want all this, I'll understand. A lot of people can't keep doing this kind of thing." Tsunade drew a small scroll, emblazoned with Konoha village's logo, and held it out. It took a few moments for Naruto to respond.

"You're right," Naruto finally said, resting his hand on the scroll. "As much as people hate me, I can't let them get hurt." He looked over at Tsunade, his lips thin. "Yondaime made me the perfect defender for everybody in the village. I'm not gonna fail." He tried to take the scroll, but Tsunade held onto it for a bit.

"The decision was unanimous," she said quietly, "Jounin-san." Naruto's jaw wobbled a bit, then he nodded to her and accepted the scroll. "No matter what other people think… we hold you in the highest regards, Naruto."

"Thanks," he returned, rubbing his nose a bit. The young man's eyes were brimming with tears, but he fought to hold them back. "But I'm not gonna kill anyone. Not again," Naruto declared, clenching his jaw. Self-consciously, his empty hand crawled across his belly. "The fox might be inside of me, but he isn't me. I'm never gonna be anything like him. I don't care what I have to do."

"You can hear him?" Tsunade asked, a bit of worry in her tone.

"Yeah," Naruto admitted. "But mostly her. That woman that I killed. She's inside of me." He looked Tsunade in the eye, his expression carrying all the message she needed. "With _him_." Tsunade nodded slowly, digesting this. There was no doubt in her mind as to the woman's fate. After a few minutes, Tsunade turned and left, leaving Naruto and Sakura in silence.

"And that's it," Sakura said, the first words that had come from her mouth since the funeral had begun. "The world keeps turning, and the winds keep blowing. Life goes on." Emotion choked her voice, and Naruto squeezed the hand he still held. She squeezed back.

"It's what he would've wanted," Naruto said, looking at the rustling trees.

"It is, isn't it?" Sakura agreed. After a few minutes, the couple turned and walked away. Their hands did not once part.

*** Author's Notes ***

Wow. It's done. I think that I need a few days to let that sink in…

Anyway, and in more serious news, I've been crying tears of rage as the last five chapters of the Naruto manga (220-224) completely demolished my carefully crafted storyline. Nothing I can do now can humanize Itachi. Shijuukaigan Sharingan has been surpassed by the almighty Mangekyou Sharingan. For reference to those that read this fic well after it's been written, I started writing somewhere around chapter 205 or 206. If I had known where the story would end up… I never would've started. Life sucks if you're Flashfyre5 right now.

For those of you who've been loyal followers, I'm sorry that I've slowed down over the summer. Work has been hectic (burn in Hell, all you back-to-schoolers! Wait, that includes me…), so I haven't had as much time to write as I'd honestly like. As such, the fic has taken a backseat to real life. Ah, c'est la vie, I suppose.

On to the news that you've all been waiting for… Chuunin is victorious! By an overwhelming majority, Chuunin will be my next fic. As a nod to the second placer (Option 2), it will be dark. Rather dark, in fact. I'm not sure HOW dark, but three of the central characters of the fic are extremely troubled. I guess we'll all find out.

Well, I'd like to thank all of my readers, past, present and future, for sticking with me as I ramble my way into a little piece of your lives. I'd like to thank my prereaders especially, for sticking with me, and Thermopyle specifically. Without his less-than-gentle prodding, I never would've done this. As a side not, for anyone who needs a red pen that's red because of blood, I'd refer you to Therm. He's fantastic, but brutal. Thanks again, everybody, and I'll see you next fic!

As always,

~Flash ()

Ending Theme:

"Call Me Call Me," Cowboy Bebop OST. This is a great song for the fic in general, and this chapter in particular. I highly recommend the Bebop OST, incidentally, for anyone that's interested.


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